


The Professional Mary-Ann

by ren_makoto



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, M/M, Masturbation, OOC, Oral Sex, Out of Character, Sex Toys, Sexual Identity, Size Kink, Strip Tease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:14:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28906923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ren_makoto/pseuds/ren_makoto
Summary: Noctis, Prompto and Gladio walk into a house. A hooker named Ignis gets involved. Punchline.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 60
Kudos: 117





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Blah, blah, something about serial numbers.

Noctis turned in a circle and gave an appreciative whistle. It echoed back down because the space was so large that sound played tricks. "Wow! Look at this place! What the heck did you _do_ for this guy? This is some thank-you present."

Prompto tossed his duffel onto the gleaming marble tiles and shrugged. He even gave the back of his blonde head a boyish and uncertain scratch. "That's a workplace secret," he said, but it was clear he was pleased that Noctis was impressed.

"This dude's just letting you crash here for a whole week?" Gladio asked from where he was opening every door and making awed exclamations about whatever he encountered. He leaned into one of the cavernous rooms. "There's a fireplace bigger than my dorm in here!" he shouted. 

Leaning back out of the door, he jammed a baseball hat on his dark head of hat-rumpled hair, then twisted it backwards. He was the perpetual child. The Insomnia High School Football shirt he wore only drove the point further home: high school had been years ago for all of them, but it was always only yesterday to Gladio. 

"Dibs," he said seriously.

"Fine by me. Take any room you want. And, yes, we can stay here the whole week," Prompto agreed. "Not bad, is it?"

"It's brilliant," Noctis said. He rubbed his hands together, ready to let the party begin. "Been here before?"

"Maybe," Prompto said cryptically.

"Whatever. Fine, keep your secrets," Noctis huffed. "Just show us around."

Duffels and backpacks down, the three of them moved through the enormous mansion. The decor was tasteful and understated with mellow, harmonious colors. Noctis, being Noctis, exclaimed about seeing something like this on the _Property Brothers,_ but both Prompto and Gladio took the opportunity to make inappropriate comments about "those hot twins" and had nothing to say about modern elegance.

Each room yielded treasure upon treasure. "Everything in here is flippin' gold," Gladio said in the doorway of one room on the second floor. He didn't go inside as if fear had fused his joints. 

"No stealing!" Prompto shouted from down the hall. 

"I'm not a thief!" Gladio protested as his friends laughed at his expense.

The luxurious estate belonged to one of Prompto' grateful customers. Prompto — always smarter and more daring than his friends — had dropped out of their college two years ago to start his own company. What, exactly, that company did, Prompto was mums about. All Noctis knew was that it had something to do with web security, and that his friend was living the good life because of it. He drove a Tesla that Noctis had looked up online, and the price tag had made him choke on his beer. 

The day Prompto invited Noctis on what he called a 'fun adventure,' he had explained that use of the house was a token of gratitude from one of his clients. 

"Come with me," he had said. "We'll drag Gladio along. It'll be awesome. Like old times. I'll make it worth your while." 

How could Noctis refuse? He rarely got to see Prompto anymore and he missed the guy. And the house had sounded like some reality TV show fantasy. It was turning out to be that and more. He wasn't disappointed so far; this was the largest, loveliest house he had ever seen. 

After a full perusal of the upper floors, the trio made their way back downstairs.

"This place is wild," Noctis said. "The bedrooms are huge."

"And that's not all," Prompto said with a big smile. He played Vanna White for a few minutes, revealing a fully stocked bar and kitchen with big, excited gestures. "All for us! All for the low, low price of nada," he said in a game show voice.

"I want all of it," Gladio sighed and grabbed an expensive, imported beer. He opened it on the sole of his boot and chugged it. 

"Ditto," Noctis agreed and snatched up a bag of chips from a selection arranged on the island. They were just chips he'd had a million times before, but he swore they tasted better than usual in this fantasy house.

"This is heaven," Gladio said after a long, satisfied sigh. "Prompto, I don't actually care what you do for a living anymore. You can be the Best Man at my wedding. You can have my guitar. We owe you, dude. This is awesome."

"Yeah, Prompto, thanks," Noctis added and gave his thinner friend a hug around the shoulders. 

"Did I say that was _all?"_ Prompto asked, his smile widening. He caught Noctis' hand where it was wrapped around his shoulder, leaned low over it, and kissed it lingeringly which elicited an "Oh, gross, dude!" from Noctis. He pushed his friend away and Prompto snorted a laugh.

"My Lords, the fun is only just beginning," he said.

"What more could there be?" Gladio laughed.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Gladio always had uncanny timing.

Prompto ignored his friends' puzzlement and pressed the intercom panel by the blender. "It's open," he said. There was mischief in his voice. 

Gladio and Noctis exchanged confused looks. There was a delay, then the click of the door opening, followed by the sound of confident footsteps. Noctis felt anticipation grip him. He held his breath.

What walked in was the most striking man Noctis had ever seen. He was thin and tall, and possessed eyes as green as a gemstone. His clothes were tailored and flattering — a three-piece suit with shining buttons and a pocket square. His hair was an outlandishly ornate confection of honey blonde, and even his walk was somehow expensive. The fashionable glasses perched on his nose were obviously an accessory, just something to make his green eyes even more intriguing. The stranger was older than all three of them, Noctis was sure. Perhaps in his early thirties? He had a worldly air about him, as if houses like this were nothing much. Fashion was easy. Elegance was _easy._ He was the kind of man who looked like he might walk slowly away from an explosion with a flattering jacket slung over one shoulder.

Noctis was gawking. He glanced at Gladio and even Gladio was gawking. And Prompto — Noctis couldn't believe it — Prompto licked his lips. 

"Gentlemen, hello," said the stranger, and his voice made Noctis shiver. It was melodic and accented, but Noctis didn't know what the accent was. The man's tenor tone was simultaneously soothing and enticing. 

Prompto seemed delighted by the reactions of his friends. "Welcome, welcome," he said loudly to the stranger. "Ignis, meet Gladio and Noctis. Gladio, Noctis, this is Ignis."

"Hi," Gladio mumbled. His cheeks had gone red. Noctis got the idea that Gladio understood something that seemed too big for Noctis himself to grasp. He felt lost.

"Nice to meet you," Noctis said softly, feeling gross and inelegant before this majestic _creature._ His fingers were stained nacho-cheese orange from the chips like some kid. He wanted to look away from Ignis, but his eyes kept drifting back to his long limbs and full mouth. He was too perfect, and it made him a little uncomfortable to look at. He was like a model on a magazine cover, airbrushed to inhuman perfection — no pores, no faults. But this was real life and Noctis' throat was thick; he kept swallowing trying to dislodge the strange feeling in his chest. He felt flushed.

"Charmed," Ignis said. "I'm sure we're all going to be fast friends. Now, Prompto, where do I put my things?" 

"You like the second guest suite, right?"

"Ah, you remember. How lovely."

"I aim to please," Prompto quipped. "Why don't you put your things there? Do you want me to take them?"

"I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own things," Ignis said with a flirtatious wink. And that's when Noctis understood some of his own uneasiness: Prompto was flirting with Ignis. Prompto never flirted with anyone, at least not in front of Noctis. 

Ignis strutted away with his supermodel walk, and Noctis and Gladio immediately turned to Prompto.

"What the hell is going on?" Gladio asked.

"I think you get what's going on," Prompto said, grinning.

"I mean...he's a...a…" Gladio tried, but didn't finish. His eyes kept darting to where Ignis had been standing, as if calling his perfection to mind.

Prompto laughed at him. "A prostitute. An _escort._ A Professional Mary-Ann. Whatever you want to call him. Yes. Fully paid for, no questions asked."

 _"Professional Mary-Ann?"_ Noctis mouthed silently while frowning. "What the _hell?"_

Prompto either didn't hear him, or was ignoring him, and Gladio was still struggling through his questions.

"And he...he's part of the house? I mean, part of the deal from your client?"

"Oh, _yeah,"_ Prompto said and dammit if he didn't lick his lips again. "I only got to pick one, sadly, so I picked for myself. Even rich people have budgets and guys like Ignis aren't cheap. Sorry, My Lords, if you have different tastes." 

Noctis shook his head, realized he'd _been_ shaking his head. "What about me?" he asked, sounding kind of snippy. "I'm straight."

And it's not like he'd been hoping for a hooker to get off with when he agreed to come along, but if he _had_ been, that wasn't happening now, was it?

Prompto scoffed at him, then glanced to the direction Ignis had walked. "Nobody's _that_ straight," he said.

Noctis felt his face heat and was glad Ignis chose that moment to return so that neither Prompto nor Gladio saw his embarrassment. There was definitely something else worth looking at in the kitchen now.

Ignis was just as shocking to behold the second time around. He'd removed his jacket and waistcoat, and the shirt he wore was tight and had been unbuttoned to the fifth button so that smooth skin was visible for what seemed like miles. When he spoke, it was in clear, professional tones, but with a hint of playfulness. This was old hat for him.

"Straight to business, shall we? Now, I received _your_ requests, Prompto, but nothing about the others. Shall we clear that up now?" He brandished a medium-sized electronic tablet and began tabbing through what Noctis had to assume was an app used to coordinate the services of, what was it again? _Professional Mary-Anns_. 

"Ah, here we are," Ignis said. He slipped forward and handed the tablet to Gladio who took it blindly, his eyes still trained on Ignis.

"Prompto' waiver applies for all of you, so don't worry about that part, just press skip. After that, you'll find the menu."

 _Waiver?_ Noctis thought. What was the waiver for? He felt so out of his depth.

"Just select what services you're interested in. We can discuss more later, but many first-time clients find expressing their desires on the tablet less embarrassing. It can be difficult to ask for what you want. This way, you can just press a button. Your requests come right to my watch." He held up the chunky smartwatch on his wrist to demonstrate. "Select from the menu, and I'll give you _everything_ you want without you ever having to say a word."

As he spoke, his voice took on a low, sultry quality that made Gladio squirm on his barstool. "Fuck," he said softly.

"That _is_ on the menu," Ignis said with a smile.

Gladio fumbled with the tablet like a cartoon character, then pulled it to his face as if he wanted to look at it and also hide behind it. He froze suddenly. "Uh, dude, do you _mind?"_

Prompto had been peeking over his shoulder with interest, but he held up his hands and backed away at Gladio's tone.

"Sorry, sorry. Can't blame a guy for being curious."

"Hmph," Gladio said, and just for good measure, he stood up and stalked to the living room where he spent several minutes concentrating on the tablet with red cheeks. Noctis was taken aback by Gladio's sudden modesty: he was usually quite an exhibitionist. Maybe Ignis just had that effect on him?

"We can chat while he's busy," Ignis said, twirling to face Noctis. "You're quite the handsome one. Do you model?"

Noctis' mouth fell open. "What? No! I mean, uh, _thanks?"_

"Cute," Ignis said with a slow smile. His eyes wandered over Noctis from head to toe. "That scar on your neck, not to be rude, but may I ask about it?"

"Uh, it was a dare gone wrong," Noctis tried, wishing he could be a turtle and hide in his shell. 

Prompto' eyes came alive, as they always did when he had a chance to tell an embarrassing story about Noctis. "He was eleven. We told him he couldn't jump this low, brick wall on his bike, but he just _had_ to try," Prompto exclaimed. "Broken collarbone and thirty-seven stitches from here" — he put a finger gently against Noctis' sternum — "to here" — he finished, dragging the finger softly and slowly up to the end of the faded scar just below his jawbone. Noctis swatted his hand away.

"It looked shorter than it was," he griped, which made Prompto roll his eyes. "That's our Noctis: he never figures anything out unless he gives it a try. He's from Missouri, you know. A total transplant. The Show Me State? I guess he had to be _shown_ that the wall was too high to jump."

"Cut it out," Noctis grumbled. 

"What a story," Ignis said breezily. His eyes were alight with humor at what Noctis assumed was his expense. "You must have been quite the little daredevil. It's very striking. I find scars very sexy. I can't wait to see the _whole_ thing," he whispered and the corner of his mouth turned up seductively.

"I'm straight," Noctis blurted suddenly. Prompto slapped his forehead and groaned, but Ignis' smile didn't waver.

"Pity," he said.

Something went _crunch_ in Noctis' stomach at the way Ignis said _pity,_ but he decided to keep talking until it went away. "Um. Gladio's not. Straight, I mean. He's bisexual. But really I think he just likes sex so, like, he'll do anything that moves."

Ignis lifted a single brow in surprise but, "I see," was all he said. 

Prompto sighed loudly. "So you won't need the menu is what you're saying, Noctis, right?"

"Um. No," Noctis said. "I don't need it." 

"Good. Then I want my turn. Ignis, pick a room," Prompto said and his smile was wicked. Filthy. 

Noctis felt that uncomfortable thickness in his throat again. He looked away when Ignis moved forward like a silky jungle cat, caught Prompto' hand, and backed away with him through the kitchen.

"Aren't we eager?" Ignis said in a singsong voice as they moved out of sight. 

"Hell, yeah. God I wanna fuck you," was the last thing Noctis heard from Prompto before the kitchen was silent and lonely again. 

In the living room, Gladio had stopped fiddling with the tablet to watch Prompto and Ignis pass. He had a strange look on his face when he walked back into the kitchen.

"He got to go first?"

Noctis shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"Damn," Gladio said and slammed the tablet down a little too hard. "Not fair. I picked some good stuff from the menu. He does _stuff_. A lot of stuff," he added, waggling his eyebrows. 

"I don't wanna know," Noctis said. 

"Right, right," Gladio said, but he had already ducked his head to look at the tablet again. His big index finger moved over the screen, and Noctis tried not to imagine what was written there — all the things Ignis would do for money. _A lot of stuff._

Noctis left him to his embarrasment of erotic riches, choosing to return to the room he had picked as his own for the week. It would be nice to hang out there while Prompto got _whatever_ out of his system. The room was overlarge, like all of the numerous rooms in the mansion, and cozy and well-furnished. It was comfortable and he was _fine._ He took some solace in the idea that he hadn't known a full-service prostitute was part of Prompto' 'fun adventure.' He'd come along on the promise of a built-in theater, a putt-putt course, a basketball court, a gym, and a full-size swimming pool, among other luxuries. There was no way he was feeling left out. 

Gladio and Prompto could share their expensive hooker and Noctis would happily leave them to it. 

As he made his way to his room, he listened at each door he passed, but he overheard nothing of Prompto fucking Ignis as he had said he wanted to. Even Noctis didn't know if he was disappointed or not. 

* * *

The day dragged on for Noctis. He tried to stay away from the common rooms like the living room and the kitchen because he didn't know what to say to his friends who had disappeared for hours to take their turns with Ignis. There was simply no chance he knew what to say to Ignis himself. The very idea of talking to _him_ made Noctis squirm. Avoidance would save the day, he decided. Even still, on a trip to make some lunch, he bumped into Gladio who was disheveled and smelled of sex and beer.

"Dude," he said when he saw Noctis. His face broke into an enormous grin. _"Dude."_

"I don't want to know!" Noctis said. He tried to skirt around Gladio, but Gladio grabbed his arm.

"Wait, wait, listen," Gladio slurred. "You've got to try him. His mouth." He stopped and took a few shaky steps closer to Noctis; his grip on Noctis' wrist was iron.

"Let go," Noctis complained, but Gladio got closer, right to his face, in fact.

"I've never felt anything like that before, Noctis. I came so hard," Gladio said softly and his hot breath ghosted across Noctis' mouth. 

"You're wasted," Noctis said, and took a step back to put some distance between them. Gladio let his wrist go, which was the only reason Noctis was able to get away. Gladio was a big guy and had always been strong. He'd played defense in high school, and was at their college on a football scholarship because he'd never stopped being a truck who liked to smash into other people for sport.

"Yeah, yeah," Gladio agreed. "Had a drink or two. Or three! He's sleeping. That _hot_ little piece of ass. Dude. I'm gonna get us some food, eat something, and then make him suck me off again. His mouth is a miracle. His _tongue."_

"Oversharing!" Noctis said with a frown. 

Gladio gave Noctis an up and down with his eyes, his look almost disdainful. "I dunno," he said thoughtfully. "Are you blind? You saw him, same as me. I think Prompto was right: nobody's _that_ straight."

"You're full of shit," Noctis said and waved his hand at Gladio dismissively. 

"Whatever," Gladio said. "But I'm just saying, if you wanna fuck him, just fuck him. Nobody cares, dude. I'm not gonna make you march in Pride or anything just because you stick your dick in a hooker. Just...loosen up, ok?"

But Noctis walked away without replying to that. The whole conversation was infuriating.

"March in Pride? _You_ don't even march in Pride!" he shouted over his shoulder as he stomped off.

"I _might!"_ Gladio shouted right back.

Noctis thought for a long time in his room with his hastily made sandwich, mindlessly flipping through channels on the massive TV and seeing nothing. He was still pissed off about Gladio. _It's not like I'm closed-minded or anything_ , he thought. He had no problem with gay people. Prompto was gay, right? And Gladio was bisexual. He was _cool_ with the Community.

The minute he thought that, he slapped his forehead and groaned. He'd just thought the equivalent of _some of my best friends are gay_ , hadn't he? God, that made him a scumbag. 

He didn't know what was bothering him exactly, but he knew he was bothered. That clenching in his gut, the thickness in his throat — none of it had gone away from the moment he first laid eyes on Ignis. What was the root cause? 

His parents had never said one way or the other about any of it. He had no deep-seated ideas about Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory; about who deserved each place and why. He wasn't indoctrinated in some creepy religion that persecuted people like...well, uh, _Christianity_ . He was an Atheist! Well, _almost..._ it was complicated. He'd written a paper about it for World Religions 101 and gotten a solid F, so, yeah, there was that. Still, he had put some thought into it all, and there was nothing in his mind that said being gay was bad.

Only he _wasn't_ gay. He wasn't. He dated girls. He fucked girls. That's all he knew.

And so having it all shoved in his face was...you know, not what he wanted. And that included Ignis, even if Ignis was...

And here Noctis paused, his thoughts grinding to a halt. What _was_ Ignis?

He was feminine and masculine all at once, which confused Noctis. He was an unrepentant flirt, and fit and fashionable to a ludicrous degree. He was witty and clever and just a little bad. He was...

Noctis sighed aloud. "He's beautiful," he admitted. And _that_ was the problem.

* * *

  
  
Prompto and Gladio were relatively respectful of the house and of decorum those first few days. Noctis gave them credit for that. When the three of them weren't hanging out watching TV or checking out all the cool things in the mansion, Prompto and Gladio disappeared to some room or the other and did _stuff_ with Ignis. His friend's words echoed in his mind far too often; the idea of his friends with Ignis a scab he couldn't stop picking.

_'God I wanna fuck you.'_

_'You've got to try him. His mouth.'_

As for Ignis, he seemed content to keep clients at arm's length when he wasn't being otherwise employed. He didn't spend any time at all with the three of them unless sex was on the docket. Noctis wondered idly what hookers even did in their free time. 

But since there were long hours when Ignis' services were _clearly_ being used, Noctis was left alone for what felt like _ages._ It was _kind of_ boring and Noctis had to confront the fact that he _kind of_ wished Prompto had told him before about a hooker being part of his thank-you present from that client. At least then he could have known what to expect. He could have even spent the break on campus instead, found a date or something. Hell, he could have finished a couple of video games _._ Maybe even studied. Instead, he was stuck keeping himself busy while waiting for all the gay sex to stop just so he could see his friends again. Part of the reason for the trip was to spend more time with Prompto, who he missed a lot. But where was he? Off fucking Ignis, of course.

It was afternoon before he knew it, and Noctis went down to the kitchen for an apple to snack on. And because his luck was crap, on the way back to his room, he ran into Ignis. He looked like a magazine cover again in another three-piece suit, and were those gold cufflinks? _Who the hell wears gold cufflinks?_ Noctis' brain screamed at him.

"Hello," Ignis said with a slow smile. "Noctis, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Noctis said, nervously rolling the apple in between his hands. He was so uncomfortable. Of course he didn't know _exactly_ what Ignis had been up to, but he had a pretty good idea. And he'd been up to it with his best friends, who were both showing a side to themselves he'd never seen before. 

"Hi," he added belatedly. "Um. Ignis."

"And how are you? Not bored, I hope," Ignis said, leaning in with interest.

"I'm fine," Noctis said. His tone wasn't exactly pleasant. He had a moment of panic, imagining his mother calling him rude, so he added, "And you?" This was the most awkward moment of his life — this stilted, rudderless conversation. He had to escape. How did he even end up here?  
  


"I can't complain. Glad you're keeping yourself busy," Ignis said. There was an expression on his face that Noctis just knew was amusement. Ignis thought it was funny that he was a naive little straight boy who didn't know how to deal with someone like him. Because, yeah, Prompto was gay and Gladio was bi, but Ignis was a _hooker_ who would maybe sleep with anybody if the price was right. A hooker with a mouth that was a 'miracle' if Gladio was to be believed.

"I...I'm going upstairs. Have a nice day," Noctis said, most of the words aimed at his navel. 

"You do the same, handsome," Ignis said in a tone that sounded so much like laughter that Noctis had to fight not to run to his room.

* * *

  
  
The day after that terrible conversation was fairly normal, all things considered.

Noctis spent more time with Prompto and Gladio, too, which he was excessively grateful for. Ignis was nowhere around when the three of them hung out, and that was probably more responsible for Noctis' joy than actually being around his friends was. God, he was a loser.

They played a round of putt-putt golf, watched a movie in the enormous theater, and joked around by the pool. Noctis had to admit that this was what he had imagined when Prompto invited him along. 

"Your clients are something else, Prompto," Noctis mused. "Who has a pool like this? A home theater? And that gym." Noctis whistled. 

Prompto shrugged. "Dumb, rich people."

"They can't be dumb if they're this loaded," Gladio contradicted.

"Sometimes dumb people inherit," Prompto said with a sardonic eyebrow high. But he would tell them no more about his job or his client, even when they pressed him. It was just like old times with Prompto being smart and vain about it, and Noctis and Gladio just trying to keep up.

It was all going so well that Noctis felt like he'd been gut-punched when Gladio looked up from his beer and said, "I feel like fucking Ignis."

"I was just thinking that," Prompto piped up. There was a minute when they stared at each other. Then as one, they shrugged and stood. 

"I mean, I'm cool if you are," Gladio said. 

Prompto shrugged again. "You know I don't care," he said. He turned to Noctis. "You gonna be okay?" he asked. Noctis almost snarled, "Does it matter?"

Instead, he just shook his head. "Have fun," he said and didn't even bother trying to sound sincere. And just like he'd thought, it _didn't_ matter because Prompto and Gladio disappeared to go find Ignis and have a fucking threesome without a backwards look at him. 

He closed his eyes and tried not to imagine it. 

"What the hell is wrong with those two?" he asked himself. "A threesome? Since _when_ are they cool with that?" 

How well did he _really_ know his friends if they could surprise him this much over such a short period of time? 

Noctis sat by the pool for a long time and his mind insisted on painting him graphic pictures of Ignis. He'd never thought about a man sexually before and now he had nowhere to go and nothing else to think about. And, yeah, Gladio and Prompto were participating, Noctis knew that perfectly well. But it was easy to block them out and focus on Ignis when he tried. They were his oldest and closest friends: he didn't really want to begin thinking about them that way. And anyway _eww._

But Ignis was an unknown. A mystery with green eyes, a beautiful face, and a way about him that got under Noctis' skin, even though they'd barely spoken at all.

Noctis could imagine Ignis' long, thin limbs — probably muscled and firm. He could imagine his full mouth parted in pleasure, his body twisting on a big bed. In fact, it was very easy to think of Ignis that way. 

Noctis covered his face and sat there staring at the shadows of his palm. He was _straight,_ for the love of God. 

What the hell was wrong with him?

* * *

A few hours later, Noctis stomped down the stairs to meet Prompto and Gladio. Prompto had suggested by the pool earlier that they drink and play cards tonight, and it was such a normal thing that Noctis had agreed cheerfully. However, when he made it to the ground level, his friends hadn't arrived yet. Only Ignis was there, and Noctis looked away quickly, embarrassed by the whole situation. It was too late to turn and sneak back upstairs — Ignis had already seen him. So he took a fortifying breath and decided to face Ignis like a man. 

Ignis smelled clean, like he'd taken a shower after, you know, having a threesome with Noctis' best friends. Noctis didn't know if he was angry. And if he _was_ angry, was it with Ignis? Or was it with Prompto and Gladio? Was he mad at himself for thinking about Ignis' body in such a way?

Ignis waved at him as he came down the stairs. It was so casual, like nothing about the situation perturbed him in the slightest.

"A boys' night, I hear," he said. He wasn't wearing his glasses, and his eyes were so green they were like emeralds. 

"Yeah. We're gonna play cards," Noctis said. 

"A fun time for all, then. Granted, I have no talent for cards," Ignis admitted. "I never can remember the rules."

"I don't know if I believe you," Noctis said without thinking.

"Ha, and why is that?" Ignis asked, and even put a finger to his chin in thought. He was being playful and coy, and Noctis just felt dumb and awkward.

"I dunno. I just get the idea that you're good at everything you try," Noctis admitted. 

This made Ignis laugh. It was a musical, lovely sound. "You're a flatterer. Well then, since you've caught me, I'll tell you the truth, but promise not to tell the other two."

"I promise," Noctis said immediately. 

"The truth is, I'm _very_ good at poker. I pretend to lose because clients like watching me take everything off slowly."

Noctis swallowed. "Uh," he said. "You lose on purpose? You play strip poker and lose on purpose?"

"Yes of course!" Ignis laughed again. "You're too cute."

Noctis felt his cheeks flame. He momentarily felt sympathy for anyone caught in Ignis' clutches. They wouldn't stand a chance.

"You know, this is the longest conversation I've had since I got here," Ignis said, eyes all but twinkling.

Noctis' skin was red hot now. "I...guess that's true," he mumbled. "Prompto kind of took you away as soon as you got here. And he, well, uh, you know him."

"Indeed I _do_ know Prompto. All his little appetites. But your friends are young. They have stamina. Needs, if you will. Now _you!_ You're the only one who hasn't been having any fun," Ignis said, sounding sad on his behalf. "Are you very lonely?"

Noctis shook his head emphatically. "There's a lot to do here. It's a nice house."

"It is," Ignis agreed. "But I feel just awful for you. I could call one of the girls. Some of them owe me a favor. It would be on the house. Another secret between me and you." He said this brightly, conspiratorially, like they were old friends about to do something naughty.

He sized up Noctis. "What do you like? Dark skin? Pale? Blonde hair? Black hair? Someone exotic, perhaps?"

"Blondes," Noctis blurted. But it wasn't true and he knew it. He liked smaller, brown-skinned girls with high breasts and curvy hips. But now all he could see were long, thin, blondes with graceful arms and endless legs. "Pale...blondes. With...green eyes?"

Ignis paused. "Like me, then, hmm?" Ignis asked after a moment, and his eyes were knowing, almost calculating.

"Maybe," Noctis whispered with his head down. "Maybe like you," he added unnecessarily. 

"Fascinating. Well, I'll see what I can do. Nobody matching _my_ description owes me any favors at all, sadly," Ignis said. He even pouted a little as if it was all too unfortunate. "But perhaps another type of girl would satisfy?"

"Uh, no," Noctis admitted. He knew that, at least, was true. 

"Fascinating," Ignis repeated. He stared at Noctis for a long, excruciating moment so that Noctis was beyond relieved when Prompto and Gladio tumbled in at last, freshly showered and looking ready for fun. 

"Get ready to lose all your quarters, My Lords!" Prompto hollered. He jogged forward, caught Noctis by the waist, and twirled him around like a square dancer. 

"No way!" Noctis argued, glad to have a distraction.

"Let's do this!" Gladio shouted and pulled a deck of cards from his back pocket. "That table by the window will work."

Prompto nodded, then looked to Ignis who was making his way silently to the kitchen. True to form, he was disappearing when his services weren't required.

"Hey, d'ya wanna play?" Prompto called out.

And for some reason, Ignis' eyes drifted to Noctis. "Would you hate that?" he asked. Something clenched in Noctis' gut and he couldn't name it.

He sputtered in surprise, saying, "No, don't be crazy. Poker's better with four anyway. Why don't you play with us? Take a break from...um?" The 'um' seemed to encapsulate Ignis' day job well enough, Noctis decided.

Ignis laughed. "A break from _um_ Sounds fun. Deal me in."

Noctis looked to Prompto quickly, then glanced back to Ignis. "You any good?" he asked, schooling his features to curiosity. He felt pretty sly.

Ignis beamed at him, "Oh, I'm _rubbish,"_ he said. He was even pretty when he lied.

An hour later, a very tipsy Prompto scowled at Ignis, and pointed an unsteady finger at his face. "I think we're being hustled," he slurred. 

"Yeah!" Gladio added, no more sober than Prompto. 

Noctis had a buzz going, but he wasn't nearly as far gone as his friends. And Ignis was stone-cold sober, having done nothing but sip daintily at a diet soda the entire night. 

"You're casting aspersions on my character?" Ignis asked. A pale hand went to his heart. "You wound me!"

Noctis couldn't stop his chuckle at Ignis' dramatic words. He didn't know how Ignis could be all man one minute, then say something so feminine the next. There was no doubt it was done deliberately — Ignis had the act of being Ignis down perfectly. He was girly, yeah, that much was true, but he could drop it whenever for whatever reason. Noctis didn't understand him.

And here Ignis was, winning almost every hand, with a neat stack of quarters before him. He always took his pot with an expression of surprise, while his long arms gathered up his haul with a practiced air.

"You've cleaned me out," said Gladio, frowning at the single quarter he had left. Somehow, Noctis still had quarters left, and he suspected that Ignis was going easy on him since he was in on the scheme. 

Ignis' eyes went mysterious and dark, and his voice became a purr. "I've hardly cleaned you out. You're still fully clothed," he contradicted, and that's when the game changed. Strip poker began in earnest. 

Over the next half hour, Ignis still worked the game, sparing Noctis so that he only lost his shoes, and _that was some next-level shit,_ he thought. His friends, however, didn't fare so well. Prompto lost his shirt, and his tight, small muscle became flushed for all to see from alcohol and excitement; his freckles stood out like paint splatters on a tarp. 

Gladio lost his shoes _and_ shirt, and was looking mortified by the prospect of losing his pants, but he didn't stop staring at Ignis through it all. Lust trumped embarrassment, Noctis guessed.

He wasn't sure why he was surprised, but the minute clothing got involved, suddenly Ignis' skills went south. He was still good enough — and Noctis' friends drunk enough — that a lot of clothing had been lost all around the table. Still, Ignis had fared worst of all, and had only his briefs remaining. He lost them a hand later. 

"No backing out," Prompto slurred. He was red-faced and leering at Ignis.

"I'm a man of my word," Ignis laughed, but it wasn't the playful laugh he usually had. This was low and sexy, and Noctis frowned hearing it.

Ignis turned his back to them when he stood to remove that last piece of clothing. He slid the briefs down his long legs slowly and tossed them onto the table. 

_He must be a good dancer,_ Noctis thought, intrigued by how graceful Ignis was undressing. The knot in Noctis' chest grew and worsened at the sight of Ignis' pale ass, the deep dimples made by muscle and strength.

Gladio's eyes darted from the briefs to the curves of Ignis' ass and back again. Prompto, however, was baldly staring only at Ignis.

"What a shame," Ignis sighed. "My luck took a turn for the worse."

Noctis had felt uncertain when the clothing first started coming off. Now he was more uncomfortable and nervous than ever. Ignis had lost on _purpose_ to have this happen. And he had lost on purpose while Noctis was sitting right here. As if reading his mind, Ignis looked over his shoulder at him, but the look on his face was impossible for Noctis to figure out.

He didn't know what happened next. Should he leave? Did Ignis want him to stay? 

And Ignis fully naked was a pretty clear sign that the game was over and that _other_ games were about to begin. What would Noctis do _then?_

Prompto sat back in his chair and seemed suddenly sober, his eyes sharp and hungry as they took in Ignis' body. "Come here," he said, and Ignis obliged. One long leg lifted, and then Ignis was straddling Prompto' lap. Prompto wasn't shy: he immediately lifted his hips and pressed his obvious erection up against Ignis' ass. Ignis gave a contented sigh. Then he leaned forward and licked up the side of Prompto' face in a slow, wide, wet, swipe. 

Prompto' hands flew up, caught Ignis' narrow waist, and held fast. Ignis moaned when Prompto kissed him, and Gladio made some appreciative noises, watching from the sidelines eagerly.

"Me, too," Gladio complained. Ignis either trusted his own balance or trusted the strength of Prompto' arms, for he leaned sideways extremely, and tilted his head back for Gladio who ducked down and kissed him upside down. It was a messy kiss with teeth clacking and a lot of tongue. 

Noctis was flustered and confused, but at least he knew when it was time to get going. He stood quietly, and was about to leave, when Ignis suddenly stopped kissing Gladio, looked back at him and said, "Stay."

It was a simple command. An easy one to disobey. 

Noctis stayed. He sat back down and watched it all unfold, watched Ignis' _body_ unfold onto the table — long and elegant — when Gladio and Prompto worked in tandem to lift him there and push him down. In mere minutes Ignis was stretched out right before Noctis' eyes like a feast; he was on his back, legs high and spread, squirming from all the things Prompto and Gladio were doing to him. Gladio's head was buried between Ignis' legs, and Ignis was twisting at the sensations. 

Prompto started out leaning over Ignis, kissing him deeply and playing with his nipples, but then he shifted back and away. His lips were wet and red. He undid his fly and pulled out his cock, jerked it like he couldn't help himself. Noctis had a shocked moment seeing Prompto's dick out of context like this. Not in the locker room after a game. Not skinny dipping as kids. But here, _now_ , hard and leaking, ready to fuck.

With a strong hand, Prompto caught Ignis' head and turned it to the side. He squeezed Ignis' face until Ignis' mouth opened, then he shuffled forward. Immediately Ignis was licking the slick head of Prompto' cock. He lifted one hand and held Prompto' cock gently as he took the head between his lips and made wet sucking noises. Then Gladio did _something_ to him, because Ignis gasped around the cock in his mouth and pulled back. 

"Oh, yes," he breathed. Gladio lifted his head smiling, stuck out his tongue and waggled it wildly. 

"I'm a man of many talents," he said breathlessly, then lowered his head again, and Noctis finally understood exactly _what_ Gladio was doing with his tongue to Ignis. 

Ignis who had gone back to Prompto' cock, only now he was rocking his head and shoulders back and forth, his stomach muscles straining to hold his body that way, and how strong was this guy?

Prompto suddenly buried his hands in the back of Ignis' hair and guided his head forwards and back at the speed he wanted. "Take it," he groaned. And Ignis didn't miss a beat or gag.

 _'His mouth is a miracle,'_ Gladio slurred in his memory, and Noctis got the idea of how and why right then.

Noctis was clutching the arms of the chair, frozen in place, his fingers bloodless. Sometimes Gladio or Prompto looked at him, but it was just to smile lewdly and say something like, "Can you believe this guy?" 

Prompto proved a little more vocal the longer and harder he took Ignis' mouth.

"Watch him suck me off, Noctis. _Noctis._ Yeah. Watch me, Noctis. Watch me fuck his mouth," Prompto begged, his eyes intense and unfathomable as they stared at Noctis.

The knot in Noctis' chest clenched at the sound of his name from Prompto' mouth like that. 

And Gladio, true to form, even said, "God, don't you want to try him, Noctis? Even just a little?"

They didn't seem to think this strange somehow, and maybe it was the booze, but the three of them had never even been on dates together, and now _this?_ It was beyond belief. 

Gladio straightened now and undid his own fly. "Can you take it like this?" he asked Ignis, who had to stop sucking Prompto' cock long enough to answer, "Yes. Go slow."

"Yeah," Gladio said, but the look on his face said he wasn't going to. 

He was such a big guy and his cock was impressive. Noctis had played football with Gladio in high school, too, so he'd seen his ridiculous cock way too many times. Granted, he'd never seen it erect and dark with blood. He'd never seen it about to get shoved into a male hooker, either.

Gladio hefted the thing in one hand and lined it up with an eager look in his eyes. Noctis didn't watch. Instead, he turned to look at Ignis' face. It was calm and beautiful, but then it contorted and his whole body arched. He cried out and his right arm flailed, flashing right before Noctis' face. Close enough that he felt the breeze of it on his skin. 

Gladio started pounding into him energetically, and Ignis rode it out, curled up and used on the table. He kept one hand on Prompto' cock, but he seemed incapable of doing more than jerking it unrhythmically, what with Gladio turning him inside out on each thrust. Gladio forced Ignis' hips higher, held him in place to fuck him harder. It was like watching a kid play with a doll how Gladio moved Ignis' long legs where he needed them; spread them wide and gripped Ignis' ankles fiercely.

Ignis made these pained little, _"Ah, ah, ah,"_ sounds, and the sturdy table was rocking. His head lolled to the side, towards Noctis, and right then their eyes met. Noctis' mouth fell open dumbly. He didn't know what he must look like to Ignis, watching like a creep at some porn theater as Ignis gave up his body for profit to his best friends. He felt like a monster. 

Ignis was still beautiful. Even more beautiful. Fucked out and used hard, he was the most gorgeous thing Noctis had ever seen. 

Ignis blinked rarely, watching him watch him. He was still making those sounds, _"Ah, ah, ah,"_ but they weren't painful-sounding now. Those little cries were in pleasure. Somehow Ignis _liked_ how Gladio fucked him all rough and graceless. 

Or maybe he liked how Noctis watched Gladio fuck him.

The surreal moment ended when Prompto caught Ignis' face again, turned it back to his crotch, and drove his cock deep into Ignis' open mouth. 

It was like someone closing a spell book. The trance-like fixation was over as quickly as it began.

Noctis' body moved on its own, taking him from the room and away. His legs must have decided that his eyes had seen enough. His feet must have worried that his ears had heard too much. Ignis had told him to stay, but enough was enough.

He hurried away, focused on the night noises outside instead of the grunts and groans and moans from Gladio, Prompto and Ignis.

Upstairs, he changed into pajamas and turned off the lights. His mind needed distractions, so he tried to remember commercial jingles. 

_"Plop, plop, fizz, fizz,_ " he sang to himself in the darkness. He stared at the ceiling as he sang for a time, but vivid movies played up there if he stared too long. Fresh memories, really. So he closed his eyes instead, forced himself to see nothing instead of...

_'Watch him suck me off, Noctis.'_

When he ran out of commercials, he tried to remember all the gifts in order from the 'Twelve Days of Christmas.'

"Is it nine ladies dancing? Or is it nine lords a-leaping? Maybe nine was for the drummers?" And a little while after that, "How many pipers? I don't know. No idea. The only one I know for sure is five gold rings."

Next he counted sheep. Then he counted backwards from one thousand.

Nothing got the image of Ignis watching him out of his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Sex on the table seemed to have opened a door the following day. Prompto and Gladio were obviously bored with having Ignis on a bed now that they'd had a threesome on a table. They must have had a look at the furniture around the house and seen endless possibilities.

All the secret dalliances from before flew out the window far too quickly in Noctis' estimation. Now he tripped over Ignis getting fucked all over the house.

The first time was when he came downstairs to get breakfast and found Ignis pushed down over the kitchen island, being fucked vigorously from behind by Prompto, who had his fingers wedged into Ignis's wet, red mouth. Spit and who knew what else was dripping down Ignis's chin, and he was crying out with each thrust. His glasses were sliding off his face and crooked, and it gave the impression that he'd been assaulted, forced down, and made to take it. Ignis was braced on his elbows on the counter, and Noctis tried not to notice that one of his fine, silk neckties was binding his wrists. There was an open bottle of olive oil on the counter and Noctis wondered if it had been _used._

"Oh, Noctis, hi," Prompto panted. To Ignis he said, "Oh, you're so good, baby. Squeeze me. Yeah. Show Noctis how you take it." His free hand came up and his fist sank into Ignis's fine, honey hair, jerking his head up and back. Those fashionable glasses tumbled to the counter and then onto the floor.

Noctis held his breath. His eyes locked with Ignis's, and for so many endless moments he watched as Ignis was taken hard, a proper whore, eyes wet with tears, mouth gasping around the fingers thrusting into his mouth. Noctis wondered if Prompto was fucking Ignis to the rhythm of Noctis' own heartbeat. 

He fled. Again.

He abandoned the idea of food from the main kitchen. He slid on the first pair of his shoes he came across and, still in his pajamas, trekked across the grounds over grass wet from sprinklers he'd heard kick on at sunrise. The kitchen in the guesthouse was stocked with all the same kinds of goods as the main kitchen, and Noctis hid out for a long time, trying to vacuum and dump the image of Prompto' enthusiastic thrusting and grunting from his mind; the tie around Ignis's wrists.

The cereal he shoved into his mouth tasted like nothing at all. 

As the day dragged on, his luck only worsened. He ran into Ignis sucking Gladio off on his way to the theater. They had perhaps been heading _to_ the theater, but hadn't made it that far. Now Noctis had to turn the vacuum on his own ears to get rid of the sound of Gladio praising Ignis while he slammed his cock deep into his throat.

"God, you can take it all. Don't stop. Swallow this time, too. Wanna see you drink my cum."

In fact, Noctis _kept_ running into his friends taking advantage of Ignis's charms wherever he went. It was bad enough that at one point Ignis stopped riding Prompto' cock on the floor of the living room to say with a smile, "Are you _looking_ for us, handsome?" 

His voice was affected, clearly the voice of a man taking a break from rigorous fucking.

His knees were red from straddling Prompto on the ground, and his nipples had obviously been bitten and looked irritated. He was something from a porno, gently rocking back and forth with Prompto' cock forced deeply inside his guts.

"Prompto, there are dozens of bedrooms!" Noctis shouted. "Use one of them! This is a _living_ room!"

"Don't listen to him," Prompto contradicted. "He wants to watch me fuck you. Ride my cock, baby."

Ignis leaned low and did just that, exhaling on an exaggerated moan that Noctis was pretty sure was for _his_ ears, not Prompto'. Especially since Ignis turned his head to watch him as he did it. His expression was a mystery.

 _It must be fun to mess with the straight boy,_ he thought sourly as he rolled his eyes and stomped back to his room to change into some workout shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Burning off some anger in the gym was exactly what he needed. He lifted heavier than he normally would, ran himself into the ground on the treadmill, and pulverized the punching bag. 

Ignis was there, no matter how hard he punched.

"This vacation sucks," he said to his reflection in the bathroom mirror after his shower. He stayed in his room and watched reality TV after his exhausting workout, but the movie he saw in his head was Ignis doing his job with such skill that both Prompto and Gladio were mad for him.

Maybe a swim would do him good. Yeah, he'd just showered, but his head wasn't on straight. He needed clarity and the pool could give him that — wash away all the confusion and panic. He grabbed a towel, changed clothes again, and headed downstairs.

Of course. Why would his luck change?

Prompto was fucking Ignis from behind on the sofa while Gladio watched from the loveseat, slowly jacking himself off as if waiting his turn. Ignis was bent over the arm of the couch with his ass high, and his arms braced to hold his body up for the pounding it was getting. Prompto was thrusting in that same graceless rhythm from breakfast, and Noctis suddenly had questions about technique. Ignis was paid to like it, but _did_ he? _Could_ he? Noctis imagined Prompto as a wild dog in heat, just wanting to rut with something. 

But Ignis made noises like he liked it, wanted more, harder, deeper. Suddenly tired of spectating, Gladio moved to the sofa and sprawled onto his back. He put his big feet on the arm of the sofa right by Ignis's stiffened arms, then scooted forward so his cock was right beneath Ignis's panting mouth.

Gladio's legs were all bunched up to make the threesome work, but it _did_ work. Ignis dropped to his elbows and lowered his head. Gladio was as vocal as ever. He started praising every lick and suck to the head of his cock that Ignis could manage, what with all the pounding and jerking and crying out going on. He thrust up awkwardly for more, making his ass and thighs flex dramatically.

Noctis watched for too long, his eyes trained on the reddened skin of Ignis's ass, the flexing of his feet on the ground, how his muscles tensed and his fingers dug hard into the upholstery. _His cock must be trapped against the arm,_ Noctis thought. When he came, he'd paint the fabric in white. The image was so vivid in Noctis' mind, it was like it was happening, though nobody had come yet or seemed particularly interested in coming. This was a marathon fuck, and how did his friends have the energy for that after _days_ of fucking?

Prompto and Gladio didn't seem to see him, or didn't care one way or the other. They were lost, addicted to Ignis. Just completely lost. 

Noctis fought not to sigh, and headed for the sliding doors that led to the pool. He stepped over a few piles of clothing and countless empty bottles of beer on the way. He stopped.

The pile of clothing at his feet was a wreck of bespoke threads and fabrics. Twisted up beneath a jet-black waistcoat was a pair of silk briefs the color of granite. Prompto didn't own anything that nice, even with his flashy cash; Gladio had cotton boxers with sports team logos all over them.

These belonged to Ignis; silk briefs for a silken man. A wild urge overcame him. Noctis glanced quickly over his shoulder. None of the boys fucking on the couch were paying any attention to him at all. He swooped down, grabbed the briefs, and shoved them into the pocket of his beach shorts. He hurried away. 

He was as nervous as someone trying to cheat a casino, and what was that about? They were just briefs. It didn't mean anything. Or that was what one part of his brain said as he ran away. The rest of his brain was more honest: they were briefs that belonged to a high-priced whore. A _male_ whore. It meant _plenty_ that he'd taken them.

The fight in his brain continued. _I'm straight! The straightest!_ he thought, only to be reminded, _'You certainly liked watching him take it up the ass,'_ by the honest, vicious part of his mind.

He lounged by the pool for long hours, watched the water ripple, and felt no urge to take a swim. Occasionally, his hand would reach for his pocket, just checking that they were still there. Those briefs. Ignis's briefs. There was probably a normal explanation for it — they were silk and maybe silk kept heat in a weird way? He'd never owned anything silk so he didn't know — but his whole thigh felt hot, like the briefs were still warm from Ignis's long, beautiful body. 

Ignis would pull them on straight from the package, slip them up his long legs like a dancer putting on tights. Reach into the front and adjust himself, make the line lie just _so._ And customers who couldn't wait would just push the fabric to the side, fondle his cock and balls without even taking the things off him. 

Noctis stood suddenly, left most of his stuff by the pool and went back inside. He looked left and right. Nobody fucking on the couch. Nobody fucking in the kitchen. Nobody was around and it was a miracle. He bolted for his room, threw open the door, and locked it clumsily. He was breathing hard like he'd robbed a convenience store. 

The bed in this room was a ridiculous four-poster bed like in the movies. Like the kind Scrooge McDuck had in _Mickey's Christmas Carol._ A complete joke of a bed. He hurried to it now, one hand shoved into his pocket, rubbing his fingers over the shimmering material. He pulled out Ignis's briefs and very carefully unrumpled them, then laid them flat on the bed and smoothed them out.

"There," he said, like he was a clerk who had just organized a messy display at an American Eagle or something. "That's nice. They're nice."

His hands stilled as he thought. Is this what he'd wanted when he took them? Just to make them pretty and perfect again? Undo all that Prompto and Gladio had done to them? To _Ignis?_ Noctis didn't think so. No...

He undid all his work by fisting the tiny things — ridiculous underwear for a ridiculous man — and shoved them to his nose, inhaling the smell of _him._ There was fragrance: something musky and mellow all at once. There was Ignis's own smell, too: sweat and skin and cum. 

Noctis whimpered. He felt like an idiot — smelling some stranger's briefs and sporting a stiffy. 

Noctis dropped his hand and his eyes went wide.

God, he _was_ hard, he realized dumbly. 

The news came as something of a shock to him. He'd wanted the briefs. He'd wanted to touch them and smell them, but hadn't realized _that_ was why. Now there was undeniable proof that he'd taken them because he wanted to do... _things._ Was it wrong?

Did it matter? It wasn't like he was touching _Ignis._ It was just his pretty clothing, which was miles and miles different.

So Noctis stopped thinking about it. 

He climbed onto the bed, flopped onto his back, gracelessly pushed up onto the balls of his feet, and thrust up his hips to drag his shorts down. He tossed them away, and then he was free, his unexpected erection curved high and hot. He pressed the briefs to his face, closed his eyes, and imagined Ignis, taking it up the ass in the kitchen; sucking Gladio's dick on the couch; all red and breathless while Prompto rammed into him, grunting like a beast.

"Ignis," he whispered, then pressed his lips together like he could take it back just by wishing. It wasn't due to worry that anyone would hear him. It was something else that made him fight not to say the man's name aloud like this. 

His hesitance was only temporary. Seconds later he was kissing the silk as his other hand drifted to his cock. He was fully hard now, and was pretty sure this wasn't going to take long. He was already halfway there, his mind and senses filled with the smell of Ignis. The memory of his body. 

"Ignis," he moaned, not caring this time, just letting the name pour out of him. His hand wasn't enough, though. He slowly moved the briefs down his neck, imagined covering himself with the smell of Ignis. What if he smelled like Ignis because Ignis was covering _him_ instead? Draping his long body over him and looking at him like he wanted it? He'd flirt with him like he flirted with Prompto; look up at him from beneath his long lashes.

Noctis continued the slow move of the silk down his hot skin; over his nipples, down to his belly button, and then lower.

He gasped at the first touch of silk on his cock. He crushed the fabric in his fist around the hardness, jerked up and down roughly, loving the drag of the silk over his skin. He shouted through his release. It kept coming, rope after rope of seed, and how long had it been? Not that long, surely. This was something else. 

The silence was complete after all his ruckus.

He let his hands fall away from his softened cock, and he lay there feeling weak and spent. He was worn out. 

His hand clenched and unclenched on the damp silk at his side. He didn't know if he was embarrassed or not. Was he pitiful for jerking it to a male prostitute? Stealing his underwear and jerking off _into_ them?

Somewhere, from the back of his mind, he could hear Prompto laughing. ' _That's our Noctis: he never figures anything out unless he gives it a try.'_

 _Well, score one for the Show Me State,_ Noctis thought weakly.

The questions kept spinning in his brain, and he didn't know the answers. All he knew was that he was never going to be able to look Ignis in the eye again. He'd just have to avoid him during the day.

 _Avoid him during the day, and masturbate to the idea of him at night_ , his mind suggested. This time, he didn't argue.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for stopping by and reading! Next chapter in a week (or so...). Next chapter will be longer.


	3. Chapter 3

His grand scheme to avoid Ignis failed at the first. It happened when he was sneaking into the kitchen late at night to grab a snack. He'd heard Prompto and Gladio totter off to bed half-an-hour earlier, and had been certain one or both of them would have taken Ignis along as their own late-night snack. The kitchen should have been empty.

Noctis rounded the corner and pulled up short. Ignis was perched on a stool at the island (god, he'd been fucked bent over that island) in a bathrobe, long legs crossed and to the side as he nibbled on a plate of grapes, almonds, cheeses, and delicate little crackers. 

Ignis had been on Noctis' ceiling all night. He was why Noctis couldn't sleep, and it was a bit unsettling to see him now. Especially after taking his briefs and...well...

"Uh," Noctis said. "Sorry." He realized suddenly that his snack-based luck was pretty bad and that he should reconsider his eating habits. He turned to go, but Ignis stopped him.

"I don't bite unless requested. Come keep me company."

"Um. Okay," Noctis managed, definitely _not_ thinking about Ignis biting him. He could have refused and left, but did he really want to? Ignis looked so pretty.

Noctis moved to take the stool farthest away from Ignis, but Ignis patted the stool right beside him persuasively, and Noctis reluctantly did as asked. Someone had gathered up all the beer bottles Prompto and Gladio had consumed, and placed them neatly on the counter. Noctis was certain it had been Ignis. He looked to the man in question and found himself being studied.

"You know, I _do_ like talking to you, darling. Our conversations are brief, but charming," Ignis said with an open smile. Noctis believed him, too, if only because he was certain even a hooker got tired of fucking sometimes. And Prompto was a rough fuck, and Gladio's cock was an enormous monstrosity. Talking to someone as dull and awkward as Noctis probably seemed like a holiday after Gladio and Prompto.

"Oh. Huh," Noctis muttered. "Sure." He stared at his hands. What else could he do?

Ignis suddenly sighed. His expression turned serious. "Look. You seem really uncomfortable about all this. About me. It's going to be a long week if we can't even be civil with each other. You being odd-man out? That was never my intention. I'm paid to make people feel good. When I asked you to stay and watch the other night, it was sincerely meant. Because, well. It's not my place to say, and I might be reading this wrong, but...you know it's okay to find me attractive, right? It doesn't make you gay."

Noctis looked up quickly, his eyes wide and terrified. "I...I," he tried, but nothing coherent came out. He had to get out of here.

"Shh, it's fine," Ignis said. He laid one hand over Noctis' hand where it had moved to push himself up and away to safety. Out of here. Away from Ignis. _Anywhere_ else but here. "Stay. Please. Listen: you can like what you like. This is a judgement-free zone, deal?"

Noctis hesitated. "Deal," he said at last.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Noctis shook his head. "No." After swallowing loudly, he tried again. "Yes. Maybe?"

Ignis nodded. "Right. Okay. It's complicated, I get it. We'll start small. Did you like watching me on the table with your friends? Or _any_ of the times you saw me having sex with them today?"

Noctis looked at his hand, at where Ignis's laid atop it, paler and manicured — as lovely as the rest of him. His hand was soft and warm, and Noctis didn't know if he wanted him to move it or not. What would Ignis say if he knew Noctis had held his briefs in that very hand; jacked off to the smell and feel of them with that very hand?

He forced himself to drop those thoughts and answer Ignis. "I don't know. I've never seen something like that before. Not even on TV."

"I suppose not. They don't ever show anything _that_ good for free. Paid TV only."

"Ha," Noctis tried.

"I wanted you to like it," Ignis admitted, and his voice was that purr of his, the sound of it gripping Noctis' insides in a vice-grip. 

"Uh," he said stupidly.

Ignis shifted closer. "You can tell me. Did you like it?"

Noctis swallowed heavily. "I liked...some of it," he admitted. "Don't ask me what!" he added when Ignis's pretty mouth parted to ask just that. 

Ignis's mouth snapped shut and he smirked. "No fun." He sighed dramatically. "I guess I've given you the third degree enough. But now that you've admitted it, let me just say, that it's _fine_ to feel that way. I've been in the game for years. Straight guys get off looking at me all the time. Some even fuck me. They come, and then go back to their wives. It's normal. Sexuality isn't some spreadsheet where you pop in the right values and get an answer. Girls in this column and boys in that one. Straight over here, gay over there? That's not how it works. Write your name in the column you like."

It was quite a little speech, Noctis decided. Perhaps practiced, even. It also gave a lot of credibility to Prompto' proclamation that — as far as a man like Ignis was concerned — _nobody_ was _that_ straight. There was some comedy to it in a way. Noctis was just one more straight guy dazzled by Ignis's light. So where did that leave him? What _was_ he?

He shook his head miserably. "It's...hard to think that way after all these years." 

Ignis patted his hand. "I understand. I get that. But just believe me: it's not a problem if you like to watch me. Far from it. It's not even a problem if you like to watch me fuck your friends. We never have to do anything. I'll never touch you if you don't ask me to. You can enjoy the show and still be as straight as an arrow the morning after. Just like you are now. So...are we okay?"

Noctis tried to process all that Ignis had said. The guy was older than him and smarter and definitely more experienced with everything. He understood the world and all the variety of people it contained. All Noctis had to do was try a little to understand and he'd be okay. He could behave like a human around Ignis instead of a creepy stalker if he took the man's words to heart and just calmed down. He wanted to believe Ignis so badly that he told himself he did.

"Yeah, we're okay. I won't be...weird around you anymore. Or I'll try not to be."

Ignis squeezed his hand and smiled. "That's good. It's a start."

"Yeah. Good," Noctis said. Slowly, he pulled his hand away from Ignis's, but Ignis was quick; he reached out, caught his hand, and threaded their fingers together. The sensation was curious to Noctis, like a tingling under his skin, a pulse he felt in his fingertips. He studied their joined hands and the knot in his chest tightened. "I don't get you. _This."_

He hadn't said much, but Ignis seemed to understand. He laughed, then shrugged. "Perhaps I can't help myself."

And Noctis was just about to ask, "What do you mean?" when Gladio stomped into the kitchen looking half-dead and hungover. 

Ignis snatched his hand away before Gladio had a chance to see it holding Noctis'. Noctis looked at him with curiosity, but Ignis's face was unreadable. Nobody, least of all Gladio, would ever suspect what they'd been talking about. 

"My head is killing me. It's like an early-onset hangover. I didn't even sleep that long." 

Stumbling around the kitchen and looking for pain medicine, Gladio was a one-man conversation killer. Noctis looked to Ignis who looked back at him with a wry expression. 

"Well, goodnight," Ignis said.

"Yeah. Goodnight." 

Alone in his room, Noctis stared at his hand, wondering why it still felt like it was tingling. 

* * *

  
  
  


After another night of rough sleep, Noctis was down for breakfast early. Disappointment smacked him the face when Ignis wasn't sitting pretty in a bathrobe nibbling on cheese when he rounded the corner. So Noctis sat on the stool facing the living room eating an apple, waiting to see if Ignis might join him. Hoping, really. It was Prompto who rolled in instead a little bit later. He handled hangovers better than Gladio, and seemed better than he had rights to after the night's revelry. There were _a lot_ of empties on the counter from last night.

"Mornin'," Prompto greeted his friend, looking around with eyes that were squinched up like he was gazing through a fog. 

"Look what the cat dragged in," Noctis laughed.

"Say that a little more quietly," Prompto complained as he began searching for painkillers with much more coordination than Gladio had managed last night.

Gladio lumbered into the kitchen only ten minutes later, his whole body moving like a saggy mattress filled with rocks. 

"Coffee," he groaned.

Vicious glares were aimed at Ignis — from both of Noctis' hungover friends — when he strolled into the kitchen looking like a fashion plate. Everything he wore was so spotless Noctis assumed dust just stayed away out of respect. 

"It's not fair," Gladio was heard to murmur.

"I see whispering is in order," Ignis said sympathetically. 

"See? _Ignis_ gets it," Prompto grumbled, downing a handful of painkillers and scowling at Noctis.

"You poor thing," Ignis said. He unbuttoned his blazer, and settled onto the stool he'd occupied the night before. Even that was done with such grace that Noctis again wondered about Ignis dancing. Had he been trained to move this way? 

"My watch hasn't chimed even once," Ignis said, and even Noctis could tell he was poking fun.

"I'm too wasted to fuck. But you can be my teddy bear 'cuz I'm going back to bed," Gladio said. 

"In this suit? I'll wrinkle," Ignis said, and held out his arms to display his impeccable fashion choices. 

"You could take it all off. I won't even stop you," Gladio said. It was mildly impressive that he was still a horndog even hungover.

"Off you go," Ignis said, shooing him with smooth flicks of his wrists. 

Instead of protesting, Gladio took his heavy mattress-walk back out of the kitchen and upstairs, clearly ready to sleep for several more hours. 

Prompto yawned hugely. "Sleep sounds good," he admitted. "You two good?" he asked, looking between Noctis and Ignis.

"Yeah, we're good," Noctis said, then looked to Ignis and asked, "Do you, like, want to...go for a walk or something?" He even surprised himself with the invitation, but it didn't feel wrong. 

"Well...certainly," said Ignis with a thoughtful expression only softened by his welcoming smile.

The curious look on his face was hardly unexpected, but Noctis didn't know what to do with the strange, suspicious look that Prompto gave him. 

"A walk, huh?" he muttered, but didn't stick around for Noctis' reply, leaving Noctis and Ignis alone in the kitchen with the weight of Noctis' invitation hanging over them.

* * *

  
  
  


So they went for a walk. Or something.

Outside, Ignis wore fashionable shades against the bright glare of sunlight. Noctis had forgotten his and squinted every which way he looked. The grounds hid a few surprises that he had missed completely. 

"Aren't you lucky that I know this place very well?" Ignis asked before leading Noctis to a gazebo nestled in a grove of lush trees. 

"No joke. But why is that?" Noctis wondered. "This thing is great. It's a gazebo?" It was cool and shady inside the structure, and Noctis' eyes were relieved to be out of full sunlight. 

"Yes, a nice one, too. The owners of this estate have particularly good taste. And I've known them for years, which is why I know this place like the back of my hand."

Curiosity tapped Noctis on the shoulder. "Them?" he asked. Answers were out of his reach, however.

"Now, now," Ignis scolded. "Ever heard of an NDA?"

Noctis shook his head. "What's that?"

"A non-disclosure agreement. N-D-A. My services are provided by an agency. All the employees of that agency operate under an NDA. In short: my lips are _always_ sealed. _Contractually_ sealed."

It was unusual to think of Ignis as an employee, one with contracts and rules to follow; just a guy with a job. An unusual job, but a job nonetheless. 

"So you'll never tell anyone about me or Prompto or Gladio?"

Ignis stepped close to him, his expression open. "Not a soul, handsome."

This close, Noctis could smell him, the sensual fragrance Ignis wore. It wasn't overpowering, but it was distracting. So much of Ignis was distracting, especially in this magical, hidden spot — alone together in a gazebo like something from a romantic movie.

Noctis swallowed. "What's it like, doing what you do? Are you unhappy?"

An indifferent shrug was Ignis's reply. "It's just a job. Though it is one I enjoy more often than not. And I'm extremely good at it." The word _extremely_ was dragged out and teased in a particular way that put ideas in Noctis' head.

 _So this is what they mean when they say 'mesmerized,'_ Noctis thought. He couldn't look away from Ignis's eyes. 

"What are you thinking when you look at me like that?" Ignis said suddenly, his voice a whisper, as if he feared shattering the moment by speaking too loudly. 

The horror of not being in control of his expression tied Noctis' tongue up into knots. His mother was in his ear again, scolding him for his manners. "I'm sorry for staring," he stuttered. 

"So polite," Ignis laughed. "I'm used to people staring at me. No need to apologize. I _can_ admit to curiosity though: I really want to know what's on your mind."

Noctis carelessly lifted his shoulders then let them drop, defeated by his own feelings and mind. "I dunno. You're beautiful," he said weakly. "I guess I like looking at you. That's weird for me."

"Flatterer," Ignis said, obviously pleased. "Tell me more. Don't stop." His whole long body seemed to be listening eagerly. 

Noctis let himself laugh. It helped break the tension. "I, uh, like your eyes. I've never seen green eyes like that before. You have pretty lips." _I want to watch you dance,_ he didn't say.

"Mm-hm. Continue."

"Geez. A girl would have let me buy her a drink by now," Noctis complained, and playfully scratched the back of his head.

"The girls you know don't cost what I cost, baby," Ignis said. He lowered his lashes, and the look was photo-shoot perfect. 

_Sultry_ was the word Noctis' mind provided. He was feeling hot and overwhelmed. Ignis was definitely flirting with him.

"I can't figure you," Noctis admitted, helplessly. "I get what you said about spreadsheets or whatever. But you _know_ I'm straight. The flirting isn't gonna get you anything."

"You can't blame a girl for trying," Ignis purred, stepping closer. 

Noctis tried to rally his brain cells to action. Ignis was doing that thing again, flitting back and forth between masculine and feminine like it was an easy game, and it made Noctis squirm.

"I mean...is this some kind of...turning-a-straight-boy-gay fantasy or something?" he asked.

Ignis rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ it's a turning-a-straight-boy-gay fantasy. Don't be daft. Now, where were we? Oh, right, _here."_ With one graceful motion, he caught Noctis' hand and twined their fingers together.

"Okay?" he asked, making Noctis nod his head quickly. He was dull and dumb and putty, and Ignis could mold him however he liked. 

"Good. Let me enjoy this before Prompto pulls me away from you."

Noctis' whole hand was tingling again, and the sensations ping ponged back and forth from shoulder to fingertip. "He does like to hog you," he whispered.

"That's not what I meant," Ignis contradicted him, swinging their arms together, and dragging him along as he marched out of the gazebo and towards a well-tended garden of potted flowers and colorful vines.

"Uh, what _did_ you mean?" Noctis asked stupidly, too distracted by the feel of Ignis's hand to focus well.

"That's not my secret to tell," Ignis explained. 

Noctis sighed. "Why do I always feel two steps behind when I'm talking to you?" 

But Ignis just laughed another one of his mirthful laughs. "Darling, it's because you _are."_

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by!

They couldn't stay out forever, so eventually they returned to the house, though Noctis could admit that he felt somehow better than he had the whole trip. Almost refreshed. At the door, Ignis released his hand.

"Nice while it lasted," he said. 

Noctis' fingers felt cold. "Yeah. Nice," he muttered, then tried to pull himself together. Bereft of Ignis's touch, he now had no choice but to focus on the strange fact that he'd enjoyed it at all. In fact, he'd _enjoyed_ his time with Ignis. In particular, he'd _enjoyed_ being the sole recipient of his attention. What that said about him, Noctis didn't want to think about. He mostly just wanted to _enjoy_ feeling better, the easing of the tension in his chest for once.

The rest of the day was nice, too. Once they sobered up, Prompto and Gladio spent some time with Noctis, sharing stupid videos with each other that they cast from their phones to the enormous TV in the den. It didn't last long. Prompto' mood soured at some point; the change came quickly, like a switch getting flipped.

"Enjoy your little walk with the hooker?" Prompto asked him over lunch in a weirdly harsh tone, but Noctis put it down to his lingering hangover.

"Yeah," he said without elaborating. "With Ignis," he corrected. Prompto' moods were beyond him sometimes. He was mercurial and complicated. Noctis usually blamed it on Prompto being smart — smartest guy in any room, in fact. Prompto always surprised him, didn't he? Like how he'd had no interest in football one minute, but was trying out for the team the next. Prompto had dropped out of school without warning; bought a Tesla on a whim. He was that kind of guy. 

A housekeeper came by later in the day, but she was so professional and quiet that her face didn't betray anything as she tidied up after four boys, three of whom had been having enthusiastic sex on any available surface. Noctis was glad that his room would have, at least, been easy to clean in comparison. 

A few hours into her shift, she walked up to him, a broom in one hand, and the tablet in the other.

"This was under the couch," she said, holding the tablet out to him. There wasn't even a hint of censure on her face, and Noctis was pretty sure she found more than the tablet under the couch. What a pro.

"Thanks," he said, taking it from her.

Something stepped forward in his mind. An idea. An impulse. It was bigger than any other thought in his mind right then; more powerful than the impulse that made him take Ignis's briefs. He looked down at the tablet and curiosity filled him up from head to toe. Gladio had said Ignis did _lots of stuff._

And nobody was around, so he tucked the tablet under his arm, and made for his bedroom. There was nothing else going on, and the sun was going down on what had been a pretty nice day for him. Why not just have a little look? Just to see.

But at his door, he froze.

Even before pushing it open, Noctis knew that something was wrong. A sensation like sucking, black, currents twisted up his palm to his heart and down the minute he touched the door.

He exhaled loudly and shakily, then entered the room. He wasn't really surprised by what he saw. As silently as he could, he closed the door behind him and waited for the worst.

Ignis looked ethereal before the bedside lamp in the dim room. He was limned in white-gold light, like a Vermeer or a Carravaggio. Noctis had taken an art history class to meet girls, but some of it had stuck and, yeah, there Ignis was: a painting. A masterpiece. Dread clawed its way up Noctis' throat. In the amber glow of the lamp, it was clear that Ignis was holding his silken briefs. He turned to fully face Noctis.

"I've been looking for these," he said in a low voice. "Let's just see…" He brought the silk to his nose, and it was happening in slow motion to Noctis, like a tragic scene in a movie. 

Noctis took a shaky step forward, and raised the hand that wasn't holding the tablet as if to stop him. "Wai — " he tried, but after all, what could he say?

Ignis inhaled deeply. "Mm," he intoned. "My, _my."_

Embarrassed wasn't a strong enough word for what Noctis felt then. He was mortified. He was frozen in shame. 

Ignis lowered the briefs, that tiny scrap of material that had driven Noctis to steal and more. But it was too difficult to even think about what he had done with them, and now Ignis was holding them, touching his shame. He had _smelled_ Noctis on the briefs. 

Ignis crossed his arms, and the posture was confrontational, but Noctis couldn't see his face properly, had no idea what he was thinking. "I believe, perhaps, you have something to say to me?"

Noctis sputtered. Was it an apology that Ignis wanted? Was he enjoying Noctis' embarrassment, and wanting to prolong it? Was he sneering at him? Did he think it funny how Noctis had protested and protested that he was straight? 

They'd had such a nice time today — talking in the gazebo, walking hand-in-hand. _Now_ what?

Noctis didn't know what he was supposed to say, but an apology didn't form. Something cold and alert spiked through him instead, like a geyser of ice-cold clarity. He locked the door behind him with a quick, precise movement. _Flick._

He looked down at the glowing tablet in his hand. It took nothing at all: a simple brush of his fingertip, and then a tap. The tablet chimed his input. Across the room, Ignis's fancy watch chimed, too. There was a pause, then Ignis lifted his watch and looked at it.

Noctis' eyes had adjusted to the light by then, and he could see Ignis's expression. It was surprise that showed on his lovely face. He looked up and stared at Noctis for a pregnant moment.

"You're requesting services?" he asked quietly. 

Noctis nodded once, afraid to speak.

"Here?" Ignis asked, sounding incredulous.

Noctis nodded again.

"Now?"

"Yes," Noctis said on a desperate exhale. "Please."

"A delightful request," Ignis purred without hesitation, but his expression was neutral. He placed his briefs on the bedside table. "Then I'll let you keep these. As a souvenir?"

Noctis was pitifully grateful for that, but he couldn't express his gratitude; could only watch Ignis, waiting to see what he would do with his request.

"Glasses off or on?" Ignis asked.

Noctis closed his eyes, imagining his fantasy. He'd seen Ignis getting fucked by Prompto, glasses on and askew. It had been beautiful. "On," he said, voice barely steady. 

"Of course. I'll use the bed. Where will you be?"

Noctis took a deep breath, then looked around. There was a giant, overstuffed chair beside the wardrobe. As a bonus, there was even an additional lamp that would improve his view of what was about to happen.

He plopped down in the chair, turned on the second lamp, and waited. He could see Ignis so much better now, and he was grateful for everything the light revealed.

The tie came first; a restless jerking movement of Ignis's graceful fingers had it dangling before his waistcoat. He pulled it free with much more care, held it out gently for Noctis' eyes to follow, but dropped it to the ground like it was garbage instead of what Noctis knew was an expensive, designer item. Ignis moved to one of the posts at the foot of the enormous bed, legs crossing over each other in a sexy slink on each step. He clutched the post with both hands, then slowly slid his torso down, bending neatly at the waist. His ass was round and firm, the fabric of his tailored slacks pulling tight over the globes. 

Noctis gasped when Ignis opened his mouth wide, then licked his way up the post. He couldn't help imagining that it was his cock Ignis was licking instead. 

_Gladio loves his mouth, his tongue_ , Noctis thought, and clutched his cock hard through his jeans, surprised by himself that he was already hard. Ignis was still fully clothed. How much worse would it be once the striptease really got started? God, he was going to come in his jeans like some dumb teen. He wouldn't be able to help it.

Noctis watched wide-eyed, blinking infrequently as Ignis pulled himself close to the pole, held himself there with one outstretched arm, then rocked his hips against it several times, like he was fucking the wood. Like he was riding a cock.

It was all rhythmic, like Ignis could hear music, though the only sound in the room was their breathing and the rustle of fabric. He was graceful and filthy, and Noctis never wanted this to end. Ignis turned to face Noctis, and leaned back, resting the center of his broad shoulders on the pole. His hands moved slowly down the buttons of his waistcoat, one elegant flick of his fingers at a time. He pushed free of the pole for a moment to use one hand to drag the item off and toss it away. Then his fingers were sweeping over his body through the fabric of his white shirt with that deadly-sharp starched collar. 

"See?" he asked Noctis in that _voice_. "Don't you see that I like it? I want to be dirty for you." The fingers of his left hand went to his right nipple, and he squeezed and twisted the bud. And Noctis could see how tight and hard his nipples were, how they strained through the fabric of his shirt.

"H-harder," Noctis begged. "Please."

"Yes. I like that. I want it so hard that it hurts. Nng," Ignis gasped. "Oh, it feels _good."_

"The other one," Noctis demanded. At poker, Prompto had sucked them _both;_ pinched them _both._ Ignis complied, and now both his hands were busy tormenting his nipples through the sweat-dampened fabric of his shirt. His body twisted and rolled. He loved it.

It still wasn't enough. "Stop. I want to see you," Noctis said.

Ignis smiled and obliged. He moved around the post again, graceful like any of the best pole dancers on YouTube that Noctis had jerked off to. He stopped with his back to Noctis, but it was easy to see he was undoing the buttons of his shirt by how his arms moved. One shoulder came free and Ignis's soft skin was glowing in the lamplight. 

The fabric slithered a caress down the other shoulder. The expanse of his lovely back made Noctis' fingers twitch. With one hand he clutched the arm of the chair, and the other rubbed at the bulge beneath his jeans. He couldn't look away from Ignis. When the shirt fell to the floor, Noctis bit his tongue not to moan. 

Ignis's waist was so small, his shoulders so broad, and his muscles so flawlessly encased by his pale skin. Noctis had a mad moment of imagining his tongue slicking Ignis's shoulder blades, his teeth nipping at the skin above his pert ass. An ass he got to see seconds later — well, almost. Ignis's leather belt rested low now, concealing all but the top of the hard muscles. 

Noctis started imagining biting Ignis's ass like an apple. Would he like that? He seemed to like it a little rough — having his hands tied, letting Gladio fuck him without lube (and Noctis was dumb, but he knew enough about gay sex to know lube was better than spit). At Noctis' request, he'd squeezed his own nipples to where it must have hurt, and he'd _liked_ it. Yes, Ignis liked it _rough._

Ignis suddenly whirled, both hands above his head. He gripped the post of the heavy bed with both hands, his wrists close together as if they were tied up, binding him that way like a captive. His slacks were open and the tip of his cock was peaking out, teasing Noctis. Ignis was hard, turned on by the dance. Turned on by Noctis watching him, and the idea was delicious. Noctis had never cared about seeing another man's cock before, but Ignis was no ordinary man, and Noctis wanted to see more. 

Did Prompto suck Ignis's cock? Gladio? What was it like, having it in your mouth?

Ignis's knees bent slowly and he lowered his whole body, only to rise again, mimicking the action of being fucked, of having a cock buried inside him. His chest glistened with sweat and his perfect hairstyle was falling over his eyes now, the strands clinging to his glasses as he began thrusting his hips in time to music only he could hear. 

"Please," Noctis whispered, but Ignis must have heard him. 

His pants slipped down his thighs, and he stepped out of them like a dancer would. His briefs he first tugged left, then right, giving teasing glimpses of his cock beneath the black silk. He sometimes hid his crotch behind both clasped hands, rocking against his fingers in long, suggestive rolls of his body. He stopped the tease at last, leaving all but the leaking tip covered by the briefs. It was driving Noctis mad. 

Through some acrobatic move, Ignis swung around the post, and now he was on the bed, kneeling at the corner, arms stretched out before him as he rocked up and forward into the pole. 

"Ahh," he said, like he was cresting and ready to spill. _"Ah,"_ he gasped, high and loud, rocking against the post again. "Ah, Noctis. _"_

"Fuck," Noctis gasped. He struggled with his belt, lifted his ass off the chair clumsily to get free of his jeans, and got his fist into his boxers. His cock was drooling with want. His boxers were already wet and sticky. 

Ignis was rubbing his chest against the post now, catching his nipples — first one, then the other — on the polished wood. 

"I'm so hard for you. I want to come. Make me come," he said, eyes trained on Noctis. The glare off his glasses caught the light sometimes, hiding his expression, and it was as much a tease as watching him grind his cock into the post, how he made the mattress bob up and down. 

Noctis' fist was pumping hard. He couldn't take his eyes off Ignis. "Touch your cock," he grunted.

Ignis smiled a sexy, knowing smile. He freed one hand while the other continued to grip the post hard. The free hand dipped into his briefs. "Mm," he sighed. 

"Let me see," Noctis begged, and Ignis obliged. He stopped teasing himself long enough to hook his thumbs into his briefs. He pushed them down with no haste at all, as if Noctis' desperate eyes weren't glued to that place, begging for him to hurry. Noctis licked his lips as Ignis's slim, erect cock was revealed to him, held loosely in Ignis's long-fingered hand.

"Tell me how," Ignis commanded, his voice firm and low. 

Noctis shook his head. "I don't know what to ask for," he admitted. His hand slowed on his cock as uncertainty set in. He stroked himself just once, watching Ignis watch him.

"Then show me. You lead, I'll follow."

Noctis squeezed his eyes shut. The idea was overwhelming somehow. Ignis would touch himself like Noctis touched himself, and that was almost like they were touching each other, fucking right here on the borrowed four-poster bed. 

He opened his eyes and stroked slowly from base to tip, and marvelled when Ignis did the same.

"It's good, Noctis," he whispered. "Show me more."

Noctis got a better grip and spread his legs a little. Ignis in reply shifted to the side so that only one shoulder was leaned against the post and more of his body — his _cock_ — was visible along with the hand fisting it. Noctis sped his stroke, twisting at the tip roughly. Ignis ducked his head as he did the same.

"I like that, too," he said, laughing a little breathlessly. "Are you close?"

"Yeah," Noctis managed. He pumped himself faster, felt like every blood cell in his body was rushing to his cock. "I'm close, Ignis…"

"How pretty...you saying my name like that...mm," Ignis said, lifting his head and watching him open-mouthed. His expression suddenly contorted. His hand was moving as fast as Noctis', matching his speed. "I'm coming!" he shouted, and then jerked, and it was such a pretty sight that Noctis followed him over. He felt his eyes roll back, his vision and mind go fuzzy. 

It took effort to focus. When his vision cleared, Ignis was sprawled on his back on his bed, slowly milking the last of his cum from his softening cock. It was the most erotic thing Noctis had ever seen. 

He didn't know what to do with the mess, so he clumsily wiped his hand on his knee, then instantly regretted it. Too late now. His feet carried him across the room — he had no control over himself. He leaned against the pole Ignis had been grinding against, and looked down at him.

"Was that enough of a striptease for you?" Ignis asked. He was looking up at Noctis blearily.

"It was amazing," Noctis said. 

Ignis's head fell back to the disheveled pillows. "I know it's on the menu, but you're the first client to ever request it. Cross my heart. I rather overdid it, I think. Most stripteases don't end like this." He held out a hand where his fingers were coated in white.

Noctis stared at his fingers, transfixed. "Can you…?"

Ignis laughed his flirtatious laugh. "My, my. What _do_ they teach you straight boys? Missouri, right? The Show Me State? I'm getting the idea," he said, but he slowly licked each finger clean, sucked each one into his mouth. As he sucked, his eyes sometimes closed sensually. Then he looked up at Noctis, an invitation and a tease all at once. He put on another show with his mouth, and Noctis was mesmerized again.

Finally, Ignis lowered his hand after one last obscene lick from wrist to fingertips. "Good?" he panted.

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

"Anytime," Ignis said. He sat up slowly and looked at Noctis. "What happens now? Any _additional_ requests?"

Noctis shook his head. "I dunno." 

"I'll be clearer: are you joining me in bed?" Ignis asked. He patted the spot on the bed beside him. His expression was the same as the one he'd worn the night he got fucked on the table, atop a deck of cards with Gladio's cock deep inside his ass. He'd looked at Noctis just like this. What did it mean?

"No," Noctis said abruptly, his heart speeding and his face heating. That was a step too far. "I don't think…That is, I'm sorry, I don't..."

Ignis held up a gentle hand. "That's fine. It's fine. Whatever you want. No judgement, remember?"

Noctis exhaled and some of his panic eased. "Thanks. I appreciate it. Uh, everything. You're something else."

"A fine compliment, thank you." Ignis proclaimed, then stood and stretched hugely. He was still showing off — his long legs and his thin, muscled waist all accentuated by the motion. He was a ridiculous, pretty man. He took his time gathering up his clothing and dressing, obviously aware that Noctis was still watching him. When Ignis finished, he came to stand before Noctis.

"We should do this again sometime," he whispered. "We can play whenever you want. It'll be our secret. Add it to the list."

Noctis nodded. But something inside him clenched and tightened. He didn't want to lie to his friends, but he would. Because he did want this again. He _did._ He would keep another secret with Ignis.

He was so screwed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for stopping by.

Noctis had a restless night after Ignis left. He woke up at odd times, turned on and confused, and then upset about it all. Ignis had danced in his dreams.

He was learning an uncomfortable truth the hard way: it was one thing to want something in the heat of the moment, and another thing to live with the consequences of what he'd wanted. Dammit, it was the brick wall all over again. Did he never learn?

"I'm straight," he said to the darkness, then frowned. Why was he so hung up on labels? Ignis had said it was fine. That it didn't matter. That he could like what he liked and it didn't change him. He wanted to believe him because if it  _ wasn't _ true, then everything he'd thought he'd known about himself was a lie.

He'd given Ignis commands he hadn't even known he wanted to see obeyed.

_ 'Touch your cock.' _

"He's beautiful, and it's okay to like pretty things. I can write my name wherever I want," he said, staring at his hands. Hands that hadn't touched Ignis. And that had to count for something, right?

He sighed. If he was straight, he was sure as hell liking pretty gay things. The ceiling was a theater again, and he had lots and lots of b-roll to preview now. He rolled over, pushed his face into his pillow, and then realized that was a mistake: it smelled like Ignis's soft, honey-blonde hair. 

Sleep was a long way off. 

In the morning, he went to breakfast early. Honestly, he was hoping to see Ignis, but Prompto was there instead. His elbows were on the counter, and he was leaning on them in a youthful slump.

"Hey," he said. He was drinking a soda, and eating cookies from a bright red package that proclaimed the cookies were 'Now Low in Fat!'

"You're up early," Noctis said. He grabbed a handful of the cookies, and parked his butt on the stool across from Prompto.

"Yeah, got hungry," Prompto said. "Been burning a lot of calories," he added and winked. 

The knot in Noctis' chest throbbed. He didn't know what his expression was, but Prompto pulled away from him. "Wowza, what's with  _ that  _ face?" he said.

"What face?" Noctis said. He took an aggressive bite of a cookie.

Prompto frowned. "You look all pissed. What did I say?"

"Nothing."

"Seriously,  _ what _ is wrong?"

"I said it's nothing," Noctis said, and even he could tell he had snapped. Hell, complete strangers would have been able to tell that he was upset.

Prompto was gawking at him and shaking his head. "I mean...are you mad that I'm sleeping with Ignis?"

"What? No."

Prompto' light eyes went wide. "Holy. Shit. Oh my God, that's it. You're mad that I'm fucking Ignis. I mean,  _ why?" _

"Look, it's nothing," Noctis said. "Can we drop it?" He stood and made to leave. If that was the only way to end the conversation, that's what he would do.

Instead of dropping it, Prompto pressed on. "It's not nothing. So, what? I mean, are  _ you _ fucking him? Stealing cookies from the cookie jar when nobody's looking?" he asked, brandishing a cookie for effect.

"What! No!" Noctis protested. He wasn't lying. Not _ exactly. _

"Oh, but you want to? Is that it?" Prompto said, not giving Noctis any time to get his bearings, find a strategy, or even think. 

Noctis didn't know what to say, how to approach this situation. When had this become an interrogation? 

"It's not like that."

"Then what  _ is _ it like?" And it was apparently Prompto's turn to snap now. Noctis flinched.

"He's...he's just different from anybody I've ever met before," Noctis said. "I feel...different around him. I can't explain it." He grabbed a soda and took a big gulp to keep from saying more.

It had taken a lot for Noctis to say even that much, but Prompto didn't look impressed by his confession. "So now you're gay, huh?" he asked.

"What?" Noctis coughed, choking on that big gulp of soda. He wiped at his watering eyes, and it was several long minutes before he felt like he could speak. "I'm not gay," was what came out in a painful, strained wheeze. 

"You're not gay?" Prompto asked condescendingly. "You just want to fuck Ignis. Go for walks with Ignis. Sure!  _ That's  _ perfectly straight."

Noctis' face was hot, and his head was noisy with panic. He chose to attack. "Gladio said he didn't care if I fucked Ignis. I mean, you said nobody was  _ that _ straight! You brought me along! Why are  _ you _ so pissed?" he asked instead of dealing with Prompto' words.

Prompto slammed his hands down. "I'm not pissed. I'm just confused. You spend all these years chasing girls, screwing girls. But a few days around Ignis and you're suddenly gay? I knew I was gay when I was fourteen. What the hell took  _ you _ so long, huh?"

"I'm not gay!" Noctis argued, then sighed. He thought for a moment, and tried to frame his answer.

Saying it aloud was strange. Every moment he spent with Ignis, he fell more and more under his spell. Naming it or not naming it, how he felt and what he wanted didn't seem likely to change. And if Prompto didn't want to hear it, he shouldn't have fucking  _ asked. _

"I still like girls. But...it's him, okay? It's Ignis. It's everything about him. I like Ignis. I think I want  _ him." _

Prompto' eyes turned cold like a December breeze. "But not me?" he said, and Noctis suddenly knew what chills felt like. He'd read stories where people got chills; seen it on TV and in movies. But even on the biggest game day, he'd never experienced anything like this: the heart-stopping feeling like he'd been dunked in ice.

"What are you saying?" Noctis whispered. Prompto didn't answer. He stared at the counter instead. Perhaps he regretted saying what he'd said, or maybe he was trying to calm down. Whatever it was that caused the silence, it lasted for minutes. 

At last, Prompto looked at him, and his expression was open and pained — it said much without Prompto saying anything at all.

"No way," Noctis protested, denying what Prompto' look was telling him. "You're my friend. Quit joking."

"You think I'm joking?" Prompto said with an acid smirk.

Noctis swallowed. "How long?" he managed, which prompted Prompto to wave a hand at him dismissively. 

"Don't be so dramatic. I'm not exactly carrying a torch. It's been years. It's old news. I moved on. I'm happy just to be your friend. Always _just_ your friend," he repeated, which Noctis thought somewhat contradicted his words. "What a cliché! Gay crush on your straight best friend? Jesus wept."

Noctis couldn't look away, just stared and tried to understand. "I didn't know," he said, then flinched at Prompto' dry scoff.

"You chose not to see, but whatever."

And that...hurt. Prompto had never spoken to him like this before. "Did Gladio know?"

"Gladio's smarter than you give him credit for," Prompto said with censure in his tone, and Noctis was starting to feel like the bad guy of the story. He was also terribly confused.

"Wait. Let me get this straight: if you're over it, why does this thing with Ignis bother you?" Asking was probably only going to rile Prompto more, but Noctis found himself very curious. The casual shrug Prompto gave was too practiced to be sincere.

"I guess I just wonder 'Why him?'" he said, and smiled an empty, battered smile. 

"'And not me?'" Noctis added unnecessarily. 

Prompto laughed, but there was strain around his light eyes. "Yes. 'And not me,' dude. That's about the size of it. He's a fucking hooker, Noctis."

Noctis winced, feeling like he'd been slapped. He didn't know what to say to that, but he knew that hearing Ignis demeaned upset him. It's not like it wasn't true: Ignis  _ was _ a prostitute. A  _ hooker _ or whatever. A fucking Professional Mary-Ann. But Prompto was using his services. Had  _ requested  _ his services. He didn't get to judge.

He had no high ground to stand on.

Noctis rose from his stool. He was done with this. 

"I never led you on. I wanted to be your friend. And me and Ignis? Whatever happens between us has nothing to do with you," he spat.

He decided to leave, but Prompto got to his feet, hands out and face full of remorse.

"Whoa, whoa, fine. Okay. Whatever. Just chill. We'll talk about something else. Forget I brought it up. I'm still...hungover. Sure. Just...truce?"

Noctis sat down cautiously, ready for Prompto to pounce. It wasn't like him to drop something so easily, but maybe this time he was worried enough that he had really capitulated.

"Yeah. Truce."

"So...did you want to play basketball later?" Prompto asked, but his tone was cautious.

"Yeah, Prompto. Sounds good," Noctis muttered. But he  _ was _ mad. Mad at himself. Mad at Gladio. Mad at  _ and _ confused by Prompto. 

Noctis disappeared to be alone for as long as he could get away with, thinking about Prompto. About Ignis. He was hiding out like a coward and he knew it, but  _ whatever. _

He had to come down to eat eventually and his luck was still no better. He found Ignis, Gladio and Prompto on the couch again, and his friends must be the horniest guys on Earth he figured. The three of them were sitting side-by-side with Ignis sandwiched in the middle. Ignis had his hands down Gladio and Prompto' pants, and his shirt open wide for them to caress in turn. 

As Noctis watched, Prompto tugged brutally on Ignis's nipple, making him hiss and beg, "Softer."

"No," Prompto answered, sounding aggressive and cruel.

Noctis was proud of himself for just passing by with hardly a look at all. He didn't think about exactly how hard Prompto must have pulled on Ignis's rosy nipple for it to hurt since Ignis  _ liked _ a little pain. He didn't think about  _ why  _ Prompto had done it, or what other things he might do to Ignis now.

_ 'You're mad that I'm fucking Ignis.' _

_ 'He's a fucking hooker, Noctis.' _

"Fuck you, Prompto," Noctis whispered to himself.

He wasted time playing golf, exercising, and watching a thriller in the theater. Gladio joined him halfway through, and he had never been very subtle or sly, so he stared at Noctis instead of the movie screen. Noctis sighed and gave up on finding out whodunnit. 

"What?" he asked, turning to Gladio. 

"Uh, we're just worried about you. Prompto said you kinda freaked out on him."

_ Leave it to Prompto to spin the story, _ Noctis thought bitterly. It was a talent. "I didn't freak out."

"Right. Yeah. That's cool," Gladio tried. It was said so gently for a guy as gruff as Gladio, and Noctis had to calm himself. His head was a mess — was he taking it out on his friends? He hadn't noticed, but he was tense from head to toe. His jaw hurt from clenching his teeth together. He really was a mess.

Gladio looked at his hands. "It's just, you do kinda seem like you're freaking out. You know Prompto. He, uh, worries about you."

Noctis sighed. A day ago, Noctis wouldn't have analyzed those words, but what choice did he have now? Prompto  _ worries _ about him? 'Worries' was doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

"I know. Honest. I'm fine," Noctis grumbled.

"That's great. But, uh, you've been acting different. Like...is it Ignis? Did he do something? Uh, to  _ you? _ He knows you're straight, and he's a nice guy. It's probably just a misunderstanding. If you tell him you're straight again, he'll back off, man. Or I could talk to him."

Noctis was shocked, just shocked. Gladio had come to the completely wrong conclusion.  _ He's never really grown up, _ Noctis thought suddenly.  _ He never will. _

"Ignis hasn't done anything wrong," Noctis said and sighed. God, his friends. What was he supposed to do with them? They picked now of all times to worry about him? They hadn't seemed that worried when they fucked a hooker on a table right in front of him. Now they were all concern? Hilarious.

"Oh, good," Gladio said quietly. "So then what's wrong?"   
  


"Nothing's wrong."

"I don't think so. I mean, you...look at him." Gladio let the rest of that hang in the air — the whos and hows and whys of these looks. 

Noctis rubbed heavily at his face. He'd thought he could keep a secret? If he had bet his life on it, he would just be dead. He was just a dumb jock until the end, wasn't he? The cat was out of the bag and running around big time.

"He's beautiful," Noctis blurted. "He's just so beautiful."

Gladio clapped him on the shoulder, a comforting, understanding gesture. "Yeah, he really is."

They both watched the movie for a time. The killer was giving away his entire plan to the heroine when Gladio finally said, "You know, Prompto  _ was _ right: nobody's that straight."

* * *

  
  


Gladio must have had a talk with Prompto about Noctis' Gay Panic because they were both very cautious around him that evening. There were eggshells all around. Prompto in particular seemed to regret his confession and his outward display of jealousy. He was so accommodating to Noctis it was bizarre.

He kept the conversation light: video games and sports and TV. Noctis appreciated it, but it was still uncomfortable to be around him.

What Ignis knew about it all, Noctis didn't know. They only had a few days left in this beautiful mansion, and Gladio and Prompto were making the most of it, meaning that Noctis didn't see Ignis as much as he would have liked.

And so, by silent, mutual decision, Noctis and Ignis spent a lot of time together after Prompto and Gladio were asleep — long after their marathon rounds of blow jobs and threesomes with Ignis. Nighttime was their time, Noctis thought;  _ his _ time to be with Ignis.

It was well past midnight, and Noctis was sitting on the couch, feeling pretty comfortable. Ignis was leaning back against one arm (the very arm he'd clung to while getting fucked roughly by Prompto) and his feet were stretched out and resting in Noctis' lap. It had all happened in a flash, Ignis saying, "Let me get comfy, handsome" and then  _ boom _ they'd ended up sitting like Noctis used to sit with one of his old girlfriends when they watched TV. He was so nervous that Ignis's feet would shift and he'd  _ feel _ what Noctis' long shirt was hiding. He probably already knew, anyway. Noctis felt like Ignis knew all his secrets. 

"Do Gladio and Prompto…?" Noctis started to ask, then stopped himself. Did he want to know if his best friends did it? Was Prompto using Gladio to…? And that was the least generous thing he'd ever thought about his friend, so he squashed the thought before he could finish it. He was  _ really  _ starting to feel like the villain here.

Ignis laughed. "What  _ do _ they teach you straight boys?"

"Apparently nothing," Noctis muttered embarrassedly.

Ignis studied him, tilting his head from side to side. "Do you really want to know?"

"I'm not sure," Noctis admitted. Maybe it would be better to know now just in case they  _ kept _ fucking once vacation ended.

"Think fast," Ignis hurried him.

"Yes, I want to know. Wait. No. No, I don't want to know."

"Final answer?"

A beat. "Yeah, final answer."

"Fair enough. You  _ should _ be more interested in me, anyway," Ignis suggested. He gestured at his own flawless body, clothed once again in a tailored waistcoat and slacks. 

"I am, I promise," Noctis admitted. Why not?

"Flatterer," Ignis singsonged, and he wore that pleased expression he always wore when Noctis couldn't help but compliment him.

They sat in companionable silence for long, pleasant minutes. The evening was patient and soft and quiet, and Noctis felt like being honest so, "It's nice talking to you," he whispered.

"I feel the same, handsome," Ignis said. 

If either had more to say about that, neither did. They remained there for some time after, with only occasional conversation to disturb the peaceful camaraderie. Noctis thought about Ignis dancing for him, and wondered if he liked sitting on the couch with him like this even more, just talking about silly things and being together.

* * *

  
  
After they parted, Noctis lay in bed in his room. He didn't fight the movies that played out on his ceiling now. An hour passed. Truthfully, he wasn't really surprised when the knock came. He was just in his boxers, but saw no reason to get dressed if what he wanted to happen was going to happen.

Ignis's eyes swept up and down his body when Noctis opened the door. "My, my. Is that what you've been hiding?" he whispered. It was the dead of night, Noctis' friends were fast asleep, but Ignis was still being cautious, and Noctis realized it was for his sake. It was so irritatingly kind.

"Come in," he said.

Ignis closed the door behind him softly. Then, far too casually to be anything but practiced, he leaned a shoulder back against the frame, crossed his arms, and watched him. Noctis squared his shoulders and tried to look resolute and certain, when all he felt was twisted up and full of anticipation. Was it panic? 

"Your scar is beautiful," Ignis said. "It makes you look strong. A little dangerous."

"It's ugly," Noctis protested, but he felt himself flush at the attention. Ignis's eyes were traveling over his torso with open appreciation.

"Don't argue. I like it. It might feel nice against my tongue."

_ "What?!" _ Noctis barked in shock, but Ignis was unfazed by his reaction.

"Busy?" Ignis asked, ignoring Noctis' comical outburst.

Noctis swallowed and banished the image of Ignis licking his chest. "No," he said hoarsely. 

It wasn't until Ignis crossed the room and placed it on the table beside the big chair that Noctis realized Ignis had brought the tablet with him. It glowed temptingly, and Noctis swallowed again.

Ignis returned to his place by the door and crossed his arms. "Go ahead," he said. "Tell me what you want. Tell me what to do."

Noctis tried to be cool, but he walked rather quickly to the tablet. His hand was shaking the entire time as he scrolled to what he wanted and hit enter. He placed the tablet down and backed away. 

Ignis glanced at his watch when it chimed, then back to Noctis with knowing eyes. "Hm. Now  _ tell me _ what it says," he said with a smile.

Noctis blushed and shook his head, feeling young and foolish. "Your watch says it."

"So it does," Ignis said. "I want to hear you ask for it. It sounds sweet to my ears."

Noctis looked at his feet, knowing he had lost this round. "I have music. Will you dance for me again?"

Ignis didn't hesitate, said, "Of course," then, "hmm. Are you looking for  _ Magic Mike _ this time?"

Noctis hadn't seen the movie, but he'd had a girlfriend who had raved about it. He'd gotten the idea: big, dumb, beefy guys thrusting their dicks in people's faces. No, that's not what he wanted.

"Not  _ Magic Mike, _ " Noctis said. "More like...Jamie Lee Curtis. You know, from  _ True Lies?" _

"You're far too young to have seen that movie," Ignis complained.

"Hey! I'm not  _ that _ young. I like movies," Noctis argued right back.

"Hmm," Ignis said, but he was openly laughing at him. "No complaints, then. Put on the music."

Noctis hurried to get his phone from his pocket with hands shaking from anticipation. He settled into his spot in the overstuffed chair once again. It took a moment to open the app, scroll through his playlist, and find the song, but soon enough a sultry jazz number was playing. 

"Nice," Ignis said before starting to dance. 

He couldn't move like Jamie Lee Curtis. He was missing a pair of really impressive breasts, first of all. But that didn't matter. He moved well, with confidence, and his eyes did half the work for him, every expression alluring. He took off his glasses, bit the end of one temple, and stared at Noctis as he played with them with his tongue. By the time he put the glasses down, they'd been everywhere on his body, and Noctis was suddenly rather jealous of glasses.

The dance was suggestive, pieces of clothing coming off with daring twists, and smooth rolls of Ignis's body. It was like the first time, only better. That first time, Ignis hadn't come to him wanting anything but his clothing back. Now he was here because he  _ wanted _ to do this for Noctis. He wanted to dance for him, to give him what he asked for. The thought made Noctis breathless. 

_ 'So you're gay now, huh?'  _ Prompto asked in his memory, intruding on Noctis' thoughts. It was unwanted, and Noctis forced the thoughts away.  _ Just watch Ignis move, don't worry, _ he reassured himself.

Ignis kicked his pants away dramatically. He was down to just his briefs at last, but he didn't take them off. Instead, he slowly pushed his hand down his body, starting at his neck and then down, down, so slowly that Noctis' mouth went dry.

At last Ignis pushed his fingers into the front of his briefs. His eyes were locked on Noctis' the whole time. His arm jerked, and Noctis could see he was gripping himself hard beneath the silk. He made those noises again, the ones that drove Noctis mad. They were high little panting sounds. 

_ "Ah, ah, mmm, ahhh." _

And now Noctis was jealous of a  _ hand _ . He squeezed his dick through his boxers to get some control and watched, rapt. He didn't know what to ask for now that a buffet of skin was on display. And everything Ignis was doing on his own was good. The man didn't need instructions.

_ Gay,  _ his own thoughts intruded this.  _ You're gay, that's why you're turned on. _

He shook his head to shake the thoughts away and focused harder on Ignis's dance.

Ignis slowly pulled his hand free, then shifted the waistline of the briefs so just the head of his cock emerged above it, a teasing glimpse of his reddened, lovely erection. He touched the slit with the tip of one thin finger, then pulled it away, and a small thread of white stretched out obscenely between dick and digit. Then Ignis lifted that coated finger to his mouth to lap at it with his tongue. 

Satisfied, he lifted his eyes to lock gazes with Noctis. Once he was sure Noctis wouldn't even blink, he slowly lowered the briefs, and shifted them down and under his cock and balls. The elastic pushed his beautiful erection up erotically. Ignis moved, touching his chest, his face, turning a few times to the music to show the elastic of his briefs pulled tight over his ass. There'd be a deep red line across his ass cheeks when he finally took them off, and Noctis imagined tracing it with his tongue. 

_ Gay, gay, gay. _

Ignis tugged at the briefs, tortured his sac with his motions; he pulled at his own nipples, threw his head from side to side, but every time one of his hands strayed to his cock, he moved it away again. It was a maddening tease. Then he moved his hands away from his body entirely to grip the post. Noctis whimpered, wanting to see Ignis push his hands into those sexy briefs and touch himself again.

Ignis moved with purpose, rubbing his whole body up and down the bedpost, riding a cock that wasn't there. He had just buried his fingers in his hair and arched his back like a rainbow when the song suddenly came to an end. Noctis fumbled for his phone, wanting to see more, wanting to see how it all ended. He needed music  _ now _ . But when he looked up, Ignis was holding still, watching him. His hands were loose at his sides, but there was obvious tension in his body. 

"Now what?" he asked softly. 

"I've got another song," Noctis explained hurriedly.

A slow shake of Ignis's blonde head. "No, handsome. No more dancing. What do you want?"

Noctis didn't know. The only thing he  _ did  _ know was that if Ignis was a girl, he'd push him down and fuck him raw. But Ignis  _ wasn't _ a girl, and Noctis could admit that he was pretty damn confused. He was harder than he'd ever been in his life, and he couldn't come, couldn't  _ come. _ Hell, he couldn't even touch himself, hadn't pushed his hand into his boxers like his body was urging him to do. Because if he touched himself again it meant…

It meant...

"I don't know what to do," Noctis said, and his voice broke a little. God, he was about to cry. What the hell was wrong with him? How could he want something and not want something all at the same time?

"Shh, baby, it's okay," Ignis crooned quickly. It wasn't the voice of a lover any longer, but the voice of a comforting shoulder, a confidant. 

"No, it's  _ not!"  _ Noctis cried. "I...feel like. I can't breathe." He clenched at the knot in his chest, his constant companion since he'd met Ignis. "You don't understand what it's like watching you. Not being able to  _ do _ anything! I wanted it but now I don't know what to do!"

Ignis's face cracked and his eyes were sad. "Noctis, it's going to be fine. I'll fix it, okay?"

"No! I mean..." Noctis said, and wiped at his leaking eyes. "I'm...you're....so  _ pretty. _ You look so...so good and...maybe I wanna...maybe I want to…with you. And that means..." He covered his face with both hands, and just sobbed. His heart hurt and he was hard and his mind felt like a fresh bruise and he didn't know if he was going to come or faint. 

"Shh," Ignis said again. "I'll fix it. Come here, handsome."

Noctis wiped at his eyes uselessly once more. Still, as commanded, he stood and walked to Ignis, who climbed onto the bed, put his back against the headboard, and spread his legs. He patted the blanket between his knees. "Get comfortable," he said. 

"That's not a good idea," Noctis mumbled wetly, staring at Ignis's lovely body.

"It'll all be okay. I promise," was Ignis's soothing reassurance. 

"I...I can't. I'll...sit next to you."

"Of course. Whatever you like." Ignis scooted to the side to make room.

Noctis nodded, then climbed onto the bed to join him. He arranged himself, and leaned back slowly so his back was against the headboard. He was beside Ignis, whose skin — whose whole  _ body _ — was so beautiful it made Noctis miserable. He tried not to gasp at the idea of being close enough to touch that skin. 

"See now?" Ignis sighed. "That's not so bad, right?"

Noctis closed his eyes. "No. It's fine. It's nice," he lied.

"We'll do it together, okay? Just like before. We've done that much already, right?" Ignis asked.

Noctis nodded. He hesitated, then took his dick out, feeling so lost, but like Ignis's voice could keep him tethered.

"So nice," Ignis sighed. "I like your cock."

"Yours too," Noctis mumbled like a fool. 

Ignis only grinned at him. "Then look all you like," he purred before sliding his briefs down to his knees. "Together, baby," he coaxed, and then stroked himself when Noctis did. "That's it. Show me what to do. I'll follow your lead."

It started out slow, Noctis teasing himself like he normally would. But all too soon he realized he was too far along for that. He needed release; felt like Ignis had driven him a little mad.

Noctis hunched forward, pumping fast and hard. He squeezed his eyes tight, and it was no surprise that Ignis was behind his eyelids, touching his own nipples, sucking on his own fingers; dancing for Noctis because he'd asked him to again.

Noctis spilled and tilted sideways; had to catch himself on a cum-soaked hand. "Shit," he cursed. The sounds Ignis was making made Noctis turn to stare at him quickly, desperate to see him. Ignis was coming, a slow, languorous orgasm that had his back arched, his tight nipples high, and ropes of cum splashing on his neck and chest. 

"Yeah," Noctis whispered. "Yeah." It was a painting, one he'd see on his ceiling forever, he realized. Every night, a gallery before his eyes. 

The tension melted out of Ignis's body when he was spent. He slumped against the headboard. First he tilted his head far back, then turned it to the side to smile at Noctis.

"No harm, right?" he asked softly. "We're just two boys getting off together. Nothing's broken. Nothing's wrong. Nothing's  _ changed. _ You're still exactly who you were before."

Noctis shook his head to disagree, then nodded. He didn't know what to think. "It's just you. All the stuff in my head isn't so bad anymore. Everything's better with you. Everything seems okay."

"It all  _ is _ okay," Ignis said. He knelt up and looked at Noctis, and his expression was so sincere it broke Noctis' heart a little. "I know this seems scary right now. You're...confused. But nothing's set in stone. You can write your name in any column you want, erase it and choose another. Write your name wherever you want, Noctis, and that is who you'll be."

Noctis looked at his hands. "You make it sound easy."

"It's not easy, no," Ignis said. "But between friends, it doesn't have to be so hard."

"Friends," Noctis repeated. What a laugh. He'd never done anything like this with any of his friends.

"Let me sleep here," Ignis said suddenly, apropos of nothing.

_ "Huh?"  _ Noctis choked.

"Cute. Let me sleep here. With you."

Noctis gaped at him. His eyes were still wet from sobbing, his hand was covered in cum, and he was having a hard time understanding life. Sleeping in the same bed with Ignis seemed like rocket science. 

"Here? With me?"

Ignis rolled his eyes. "Is there an echo? Yes.  _ Here. _ With  _ you." _

"You have a room you're using," Noctis argued. 

And dammit if Ignis didn't beg pretty, too. "How  _ boring. _ My own room? My own  _ widdle _ bed? I'd rather be in yours."

And god that was tempting.  _ Ignis in his bed _ , he thought.  _ All his all night. _ But then Noctis froze, and fear crept up his neck. He had a sudden worry that he'd roll over in the night, just start touching Ignis, and not be able to stop. He didn't want to test it. What would that make him?

"But  _ why?" _ Noctis whined instead of explaining the needy place where his mind was.

"Because I like you," Ignis said. "And, honestly, I don't think you need to be alone right now. It seemed like a good idea when I asked. But if you'd rather I left…"

Noctis inhaled deeply, held it, and exhaled. It helped him feel less like he was about to start crying again. "I don't actually want you to go," Noctis said, and saying the words aloud made the knot in his chest ease.

"There's no place I'd rather be," Ignis announced as he got to his feet, and padded to Noctis' messy bathroom. He returned with towels, one of which he handed to Noctis. He wiped himself down, but stared at Noctis as he did, and his green eyes were mysterious. The towels were tossed away, and Ignis crawled across the bed to Noctis, who felt his mouth go dry at the view. But Ignis only pulled a corner of the blanket up, and slid beneath it gracefully.

"Get comfy, handsome," he said. So the two of them snuggled in under the covers. Ignis turned on his side, his back to Noctis, and his head pillowed on his hands. 

Noctis stared at his long neck and graceful shoulders. They were both naked, sleeping less than two feet apart, and Noctis didn't understand a damn thing.

"May I call you 'Noct'?" Ignis asked in a voice slightly muffled by blanket, but Noctis was so focused on all of him that he heard just fine.

"Nobody calls me that."

There was a pause, then Ignis said, "Then let me be the only one who does."

Noctis held his breath again, then let it out in a heavy rush. "Uh, say it again?"

"Noct," Ignis said, but it was  _ that  _ voice he used. The one that was like a purr. 

"Uh, yeah. You can call me Noct."

"Then goodnight,  _ Noct. _ Again."

"Goodnight, Ignis." But Noct didn't close his eyes. Very slowly, he lifted his hand. He reached out, could imagine running his hand down Ignis's shoulder, down to his waist, and then around, to that beautiful cock. 

"You can," Ignis whispered. "I want you to."

Noctis pulled his hand back. "Goodnight," he said again, then turned away from temptation.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day was more of the same (except for the part of Noctis that kept thinking about sleeping in the same bed with Ignis). Eat, workout, hang out with Gladio while trying to avoid Prompto as much as possible. Despite the truce they had called, conversations with Prompto were stilted, and the hard feelings so prevalent that it was up to Gladio to smooth tensions and keep things civil. Sometimes it seemed like Prompto couldn't help but say snide things about Ignis and Noctis.

"Maybe you want to invite the hooker along to play golf with us? Since you like him _so_ much?" he sneered at one point.

"Fuck off, Prompto," Noctis growled.

"Dudes, come _on,"_ Gladio begged.

So, yeah. It was better to avoid Prompto entirely.

And of course, Noctis didn't hang out with Gladio or Prompto at all if they were in one of the common rooms, being creative with Ignis on any available surface. It still happened — Ignis blowing Prompto by the pool; getting fucked by Gladio on the billiard table in the study. Every time Noctis stumbled upon Ignis being used, their eyes met. Bent forwards, bent backwards, legs wide or closed, Ignis' eyes always found Noctis.

Under the gruff exterior, Gladio it seemed was a lover. Not once but twice Noctis stumbled across Gladio and Ignis in a romantic clench. The first time, Ignis was almost fully-dressed, but the front of his designer shirt was unbuttoned so that Gladio could stroke his chest, kiss his long neck, and sometimes nip at a nipple. 

Noctis stood just out of sight and watched as Gladio lowered Ignis back onto the couch and kissed him deeply. The contented sound he made when Ignis wrapped his arms around him was followed up by whispers that Noctis could overhear.

"I like it when you hold me," Gladio said. Noctis could see his smile even as far away as he was.

"I like holding you," Ignis purred back. One long leg curled up and around Gladio's back, holding him down so their dicks could rub together through the fabric. 

"Yeah," was Gladio's reply to that before he kissed Ignis again, and let his hand roam all over his muscles. "You're so fit," he mused. 

Ignis laughed. "I have to keep up with you," he said, and then undid the buttons of Gladio's shirt to reveal all his dense, football muscle. 

Noctis listened to this romantic exchange, but he could tell it wasn't the same. _It's not how Ignis talks to me,_ he thought as the realization dawned. Putting his finger on precisely what was different wasn't easy, but he knew he was right: Ignis spoke to him differently than he spoke to Gladio and even Prompto. Some of his jealousy eased at the thought. _Some_ of it.

Five minutes later, they were still just kissing and caressing, and Noctis was surprised. And if he analyzed it too closely, he was jealous, too. Gladio knew himself; knew what he wanted, and wasn't afraid to take it. _The opposite of me,_ Noctis thought miserably. The reason he kept watching was because he was some kind of masochist he figured. 

There was nothing hurried about Gladio's touches to Ignis' body. He was just enjoying himself, and Ignis in turn was just as content to kiss and touch, occasionally shifting his hips beneath Gladio's in a sensual way. They were in no rush to get off. 

Feeling like a voyeur even more than before when Ignis had been double-teamed by Gladio and Prompto on the couch, Noctis snuck away. His back catalogue of wank material featuring Ignis was growing bigger by the minute.

And his time was running out. _Tick, tock._

  
  


* * *

Late that night, Ignis and Noctis chatted by the gas firepit on the patio that Ignis, of course, knew how to operate. The digital panel that controlled it had made Noctis' head hurt, but Ignis had confidently pushed buttons and gotten the thing working easily.

They talked about everything, bouncing from topic to topic nonstop, and it made Noctis think of speed dates. It seemed like they were both aware of the very same thing: how short their time together was. Were they trying to stretch out every remaining minute of the week? Fill each moment with each other? Noctis knew it was the case for him, but Ignis, as always, was impossible to read. So he just listened to his words, and tried to memorize all of him.

Noctis learned that Ignis liked to cook, and that he spoke both French and German. It came in handy, he said, because many of his clients liked taking him along on trips abroad. They showed him off, kept him on their arms like an expensive accessory.

Ignis didn't mind really because he enjoyed traveling. He wanted to learn an instrument he said, but wasn't particular about which one.

Noctis in turn shared with Ignis that he had no concrete plans for the future. He still felt like a kid in what he liked and what he did: sports and music and video games. He'd never been good enough to play football in college, and he wasn't a particularly good student. The real world scared him. He admitted that Ignis seemed like a mythical creature to him with his refinement, polish, and knowledge.

"Flattery, flattery," Ignis said.

And because Noctis asked — because he needed to know, perhaps — they talked about being gay in this world. 

"Are you sure you want to hear all this?"

And Noctis was. It was important for him to hear it all.

Some of what Ignis told him was wonderful. He talked about friendship and community and belonging. He had _actually_ marched in Pride, unlike Gladio, and Noctis made a mental note to rub Gladio's nose in that later.

"I was quite the Queen," Ignis proclaimed proudly, but Noctis didn't know what that meant, exactly. Instead of explaining, Ignis said that he'd show him pictures one day.

"You'll absolutely love them," Ignis promised.

When Ignis talked about the good times, Noctis felt comfortable, even cheerful knowing that life was good for Ignis. He was 'Out and Proud' like Noctis had heard people talk about on TV, and living the way he wanted.

But a lot of what Ignis said scared Noctis, made him feel shame; made him feel helpless and small. Ignis told him stories of slurs and violence and sudden aggression. They made Noctis feel sick to his stomach. And Ignis had a way of telling these bleak stories without sounding angry or wronged by the world, and Noctis didn't know how that could be. Why wasn't he angry? Why didn't he want to tear the whole system down?

"Oh, I am angry, Noct," Ignis explained when he asked, a cool expression on his face. "I'm very angry." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I comfort myself with the knowledge that nothing lasts forever. Not even this awful, hateful world."

It was said with certainty, and a fair amount of heartbreak.

When he was done — or at least exhausted from recounting cruelties — he asked, "What do you think now?" 

"I think...I think I don't know a lot about anything," Noctis admitted.

"A fair point. But everyone has to start somewhere," Ignis said gently.

And when it got _quite_ late, they said goodnight, and went their separate ways. But Noctis knew somehow that it wasn't over. Not tonight, at least.

He was proven correct when Ignis knocked very politely on his door about an hour later. When he opened it, Ignis was obviously freshly showered, and wearing pajama bottoms and nothing else. They were silk and slate grey. _Of course_ Ignis had silk pajamas. Noctis had a sudden urge to pet them.

"Uh, hi," he said, staring at a series of love bites and hickeys on Ignis' torso.

"Oh, don't mind them," Ignis said softly, noticing his wandering eyes. "Occupational hazards."

Only he _was_ minding them. He didn't _like_ these marks on Ignis. He didn't like that someone else had made them; the insistence in his mind that he _could_ have made them — Ignis _wanted_ him to, or said he did — if he weren't a confused mess. A coward and a fool.

"Gladio?" he asked around the bile of jealousy.

"Yes. And Prompto," Ignis added, his long fingers brushing over one nipple which was obviously sore from bites and from being sucked too hard.

"Do you…? I mean..."

Ignis smiled a dagger smile, bright and sharp and dangerous. "How cute. Don't you know, handsome? I like _everything."_

"I don't believe you," Noctis said thoughtfully. 

"Hm," was all Ignis said. He stepped into the room then turned to stare at Noctis. "So what are we doing tonight?"

Noctis looked around in panic. "I don't have the tablet," he said. 

"You don't need it," Ignis whispered.

"Oh, um." There was a long moment as Noctis thought. What _did_ he want from Ignis? The answer was 'too much.' 

"I don't know what to ask for," he admitted.

"Ah. Did I scare you away with all my talk earlier?"

"No!" Noctis protested, feeling shocked. "It's not that. I just...I don't even know where to start."

"Perhaps I can help you," Ignis purred. He moved further into the room, and Noctis locked the door behind him clumsily while his eyes feasted. There was Ignis looking like a painting again with his muscled chest and creamy skin. Noctis took a few backwards steps away from him, not really trusting himself.

Ignis smirked at him, but said nothing until, "You _know,_ I was laying in bed having a think after you said goodbye so _sweetly."_

Noctis flushed. He'd thought it a normal goodbye. "Uh. Yeah?"

"Mm, yes. And I _recalled_ that I put on a show for you not too long ago," Ignis said.

"You did. Yeah. It was nice. I liked it. It was really nice," Noctis babbled. He felt a little unbalanced. 

Ignis' smile turned wicked. "How _nice._ In fact, I put on a show for you _twice."_

"Yeah, uh, that's true," Noctis said, feeling even _more_ unbalanced.

"And I didn't get a _thing_ for all my troubles," Ignis said, pouting that pretty pout of his. "Now is that fair?"

Noctis didn't know what that meant, exactly, and he didn't want to point out the obvious fact that Ignis was a prostitute and that there wasn't usually tat for the tit in that situation. Also, Ignis had certainly seemed to enjoy dancing for him. But he let it slide because, well, because he wanted to. He wanted to know what Ignis wanted in exchange; he liked the idea that he had something Ignis wanted.

"Maybe. Uh, maybe it's not fair," he admitted. God, Ignis was obviously enjoying toying with him. His eyes were twinkling again.

"I agree! So now _you_ can put on a show for _me."_

Noctis ducked his head, flustered by the request. "I can't dance," he admitted. 

Ignis' shrug was performance art. "Who says I want you to dance? Show me," he said, looking over Noctis' shoulder.

"Huh?" Noctis asked. He turned to follow Ignis' gaze and was immediately mortified. He whirled back. "Um. I can't."

"And why is that?" Ignis purred.

"It won't work."

"Why, Noct?" Ignis asked, and his tone was still playful, but there was iron to the question.

"It's because...that is...they don't... _smell-like-you-anymore_ ," Noctis answered in a whispered rush. He kept Ignis' briefs by the bed, touched them sometimes, but it wasn't the same now.

Ignis' eyes turned bright and knowing. "Oh, I _see._ Then let me fix that," he said. 

Then he stripped — right then and there — and Noctis was mesmerized again. _Thud, thud,_ went Ignis' slippers as he tossed them. _Rustle_ went his pants as they pooled on the ground. All business, he was down to just his briefs in what seemed like an instant. 

Noctis watched it all with his mouth hanging open like a dummy. Even undressing normally, Ignis moved like a stripper. Gracefully, Ignis pulled the briefs down and tossed them to Noctis, who caught them and instantly felt his fingers turn hot. 

"There you go, handsome. Now, give me my show."

Noctis was too busy staring at Ignis' glorious body to move at first; how his cock was hardening at the idea of Noctis getting off for him. Ignis was perfect. There was no choice, was there? Noctis crushed the briefs in his hands, just to stop himself from reaching for something else.

He backed up until the back of his legs hit the bed. Then he stilled, watching to see if Ignis might change his mind, get bored, say it was all a joke, and leave. 

Ignis crossed his arms, leaned back against the door and watched. "Don't be shy," he said.

Noctis closed his eyes. He was embarrassed and turned on, and would it be better to pretend like he was alone again — or would that be much less tantalizing? 

That delicious smell was there, just like before, when he pressed the briefs to his nose. They were still hot from Ignis' body, and that was an unexpected, welcome perk. He moaned and rubbed the silk against his face. Then he whispered Ignis' name, but now Ignis could hear it, and he knew he should stop, but he couldn't.

"Yes," Ignis answered, and that made Noctis' heart beat wildly.

He kissed the briefs, and it was better now _because_ of that heat, and _because_ Ignis was standing there watching him. Committed now, he shucked his boxer shorts suddenly, tossed them to he didn't _care_ where, and climbed onto the bed. He glanced at Ignis who shifted for a better view.

Noctis scooted down so that his back was flat, but he left his knees bent. Then he trailed the silk briefs to his neck, imagined rubbing the scent of Ignis into his skin as he went. He pushed the fabric to his nipples, first one then the other. God, Ignis was watching him do this, and he was too embarrassed and nervous and just messed up to keep his eyes open and _see_ Ignis watching him get off with his underwear. 

He lingered with the silk on his belly button for a moment, then he inhaled and wrapped the silk around his neglected cock. 

"Fuck," Noctis shouted. The sensation was better than even the first time. Jacking himself off was a normal thing. He was in his twenties, what did people expect? But it had never felt this good. Never before, and he suspected never again.

"Ignis, Ignis," he whispered. 

He had to savor this feeling now; savor what it felt like to have Ignis' eyes solely on him. When he finally forced his eyes open, he moaned at the hungry look on Ignis' perfect face. He'd had one week with him and it was almost done. _Tick, tock._

"You like getting off for me? Touching your cock for me? Come for me, baby. Let me see you," Ignis demanded.

Noctis came enormously, loudly; body contorted, curling in towards his hand where it was still pumping cum onto the briefs, onto his hand, onto the comforter. His legs moved restlessly. White noise filled his brain from the sound of his blood rushing down. 

Ignis moved across the room, eyes bright. He stopped by the side of the bed, looking down at him.

"Please," Noctis whispered, his eyes dropping to Ignis' blood-darkened cock.

"Of course," Ignis said. It was what he always said. He was a man who gave men what they wanted. He wrapped his long fingers around himself, and began stroking and twisting. Cum drooled from the head of his cock, slicking his movements. He lifted one knee onto the bed, right beside Noctis' hip and Noctis understood. More than that, he wanted it; was panting for it.

"I'm close," Ignis said. He leaned nearer to Noctis, and jerked faster, no finesse, just speed and strength: a good-old-fashioned jerk like the kind Noctis did when he knew his parents would come home any minute. 

He didn't know why, but he opened his mouth wide, and maybe that was what made Ignis let go, because Ignis' eyes went wide, then squeezed shut, and he shot all over Noctis. It was hot on Noctis' tongue, hot where it hit his chest and pooled in his navel. God, it was filthy, and he felt his cock stir again.

He licked his lips, wiped the cum off his chin, and licked it up too, all under Ignis' heavy-lidded gaze. He'd never even tasted his own spunk before. He didn't know if he was supposed to like it or not, but he _did._ Was he just that pitiful that he liked _everything_ about Ignis? Maybe he was, because he gathered up more from his stomach, and licked that, too; sucked on his finger to get the last drop. 

"Straight boys," Ignis mused, mostly to himself, but it was clear from his eyes that he liked watching Noct swallow his cum. Noctis wanted to laugh, but he was still too overwhelmed to do anything but gaze at Ignis with his chest heaving. 

"Aren't you a picture?" Ignis said, standing straight and letting his cock hang semi-erect and sticky. 

"Ha, _me?"_ Noctis muttered. "You even look pretty when you come," he said. It sounded like a gripe, and Ignis rolled his eyes. 

"Don't you know by now? I do _everything_ pretty," he said haughtily. "Hold there. I'll get something to clean us up."

He disappeared into the ensuite, and returned with two small towels damp with warm water. He handed one to Noctis, and used the other on himself. They eyed each other as they cleaned up. Noctis didn't know what to say, but manners made him say, "Thank you. Again."

Before he lost his courage, he added, "Come to bed?" 

"Of course," Ignis said casually, easily, as if this wasn't a big step for Noctis who they both knew was confused and lost. And so for the second night in a row, they fell asleep together. Ignis wasn't stretched out on Noctis' ceiling anymore. He was right beside him instead. When Noctis tried to pinpoint when this thing he had with Ignis became an inevitability, all that came to mind was the minute Ignis walked into the kitchen that first day in the mansion. 

_'Hello, gentlemen.'_

At some hour deep in the night, Noctis woke suddenly to the feeling of the bed moving. His hand flew without him thinking, and his fingers wrapped around Ignis' wrist. He squinted through the dark at Ignis' surprised expression.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"Stay," Noctis said in a sleepy growl. 

"Your friends…"

"I don't care. Stay. Please."

"You do care, Noct," Ignis said, rolling to face Noctis and studying him.

"Not so much right now," Noctis argued. He lifted a hand and very gently pushed Ignis' tousled hair off his face. "There," he said. "Perfect."

Before he could retrieve his hand, Ignis caught it, and twined their fingers together. 

"What am I supposed to do with you?" he whispered, but Noctis was already half-way back to sleep, and didn't bother to answer.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Noctis woke up with a feeling of dread the next day. Ignis had slipped out at some point during the night, but that wasn't what was causing such mayhem in his mind. He had, he realized, less than a day and a half left with Ignis. He felt choked up by everything he hadn't said. 

Prompto and Gladio seemed very aware of the fact that he was having a meltdown. They left him alone unless he sought them out, gave him friendly claps on the shoulder, and otherwise just tried to be there for him. Even Prompto was understanding. His occasional snide little comments to him about Ignis when he was in a particularly dark mood all dried up. Noctis appreciated it, he just didn't know what to do with any of it. 

Of course, Gladio and Prompto still disappeared from time to time to be with Ignis ("Gotta fuck him while we can," Gladio said which made Noctis hate him just a little). And Ignis always looked over his shoulder at Noctis as he was led away to do dark deeds in dark rooms. Noctis still didn't know what his expression meant, but he wanted to so badly. His friends and Ignis had kindly stopped having sex in the public rooms, and it was great for Noctis to have a break from seeing Ignis like that. With other people. His _friends._

And sometimes, Noctis and Ignis just hung around wherever, talking, both aware that they were in a weird place together, and that this weird, wonderful, horrible time was coming to an end.

On the evening of that very last day, they lounged by the pool. Ignis hinted that both Gladio and Prompto were wiped out from, what was the word he'd used? Oh, right: _exertions._

So it was peaceful by the pool, and nice to be with Ignis. Just the two of them.

"Tell me more about you," Noctis said, looking at Ignis' profile bathed in the shrinking sunlight. "Where are you from? You have an accent, but I don't know what it is."

"I'm from everywhere," Ignis explained breezily. "I've been all over, lived everywhere, so my accent is a hodgepodge."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. I like how you say certain words," Noctis said. "You say 'flat' instead of 'apartment.' You sound like a prince in a movie. It's pretty."

"Where did you learn your manners?" Ignis asked with a laugh. "You're so polite. Complimentary. Kind. Different from Gladio. Not like Prompto, either."

Noctis didn't know how he felt being compared to friends when he was the only one _not_ sleeping with Ignis. Or, at least, not _really_ sleeping with Ignis. They did _stuff,_ just like Gladio said. _A lot of stuff,_ Noctis mused. Some of what he felt was definitely pride at the idea that Ignis preferred him. A lot of it was discomfort at the idea that Ignis — being only human no matter how refined — couldn't help but compare one friend to the other. 

"My mom and dad are a couple of do-gooders," Noctis explained. "I try to be polite. I've never met anyone like you, though, and I say stupid things. I'm sorry that I've been trouble."

Ignis gave one of his bubbly laughs. "Handsome, you're _hardly_ trouble. You're the most fun a hooker could have."

"I don't know what that means, but I'll take it as a compliment."

"It's a compliment," Ignis said, laughing again. They watched the sun go down, and Noctis looked to Ignis as he stood. "I'm hanging out with Gladio and Prompto for a bit tonight. We don't see Prompto much anymore, what with his mystery job and all that. We're going to say goodbye to him. Or goodbye for now, really."

Ignis nodded his head in understanding. "Well, I guess this is goodnight, then. Or is it goodbye? You leave tomorrow?"

"Uh, yeah," Noctis said, feeling the weight of the moment crash into him like a linebacker. "I don't _want_ to go, for what it's worth. Not much, I know."

"It means plenty," Ignis said. He stood and held out a hand. "I hate goodbyes, to be honest. So let me say now, tonight, that it has been very nice to meet you." 

Noctis slowly took the offered hand. He shook it for too long. "It was nice to meet you, too. I promise: I am never going to forget you."

"Now _that_ I absolutely believe." Ignis glanced down at their clasped hands. "Hold it any longer and I'll just let you keep it," he said. 

Noctis apologized and finally released him. The idea was tempting. "Well...thanks. Um. Goodnight. Goodbye."

Noctis headed inside, but he still heard Ignis' soft, "Goodnight, handsome."

He'd miss that, he realized: the sweet sound of someone like Ignis calling him handsome. He caught himself in the lie. It wasn't because it was someone _like_ Ignis. It was because it _was_ Ignis. He was going to miss him. Far, far, too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for stopping by and reading! And thanks for all the great comments and kudos.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by to read and for all the nice comments!
> 
> "We apologise for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible have been sacked. "

"Let's wreck this place and say goodbye right!" was Gladio's pronouncement that night. Prompto and Noctis agreed, though Noctis didn't think any of them had it in them to actually wreck the place like some rock star in a Vegas hotel. The sentiment did make sense to him, however: they were going to give their week here, and all that it entailed, a proper send-off. 

Before they could get the festivities started, Prompto pulled Noctis to the side. The look on his face let Noctis know that they were going to have another talk, possibly one he would rather skip. Perhaps Prompto was just going to take the time to insult Ignis again. Who knew with Prompto?

"Hey," Prompto said. 

"Hi," Noctis said simply. If Prompto had something to say, he wasn't going to help him out. 

"Yeah," Prompto muttered. "Look. I've been an ass."

Noctis crossed his arms. "Yep."

Prompto winced, but soldiered on. "And it's not your fault I loved you. And it's not your fault I never said anything. It's not Ignis' fault that...well, none of it is his fault."

Noctis didn't speak, mostly because love was a big word he hadn't expected, and he didn't know what to say in reply. Sometimes he wondered if Prompto, for all his intelligence, didn't think before he spoke.

"I shouldn't have made a big deal about you and Ignis. It was all my own doing anyway. I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I brought you along. What I hoped for. And then I was so jealous. I just set myself up to be jealous. Of you and him. I'm an idiot."

The more he talked the more miserable he seemed to make himself. His whole posture was defeated, so Noctis decided to put an end to this. He'd never wanted Prompto to be sad or full of regret. All he'd wanted was to hang out with him, to have things be the way they were before Prompto dropped out. Granted, he'd been in the dark about what was  _ really _ going on all those years of their friendship, but it was too late to fix that now. Wrong or not, he still wanted things to be the same.

"Prompto, cut it out. It's okay. I just want to forget it all. I'm your friend. I'm still your friend. Can we just pretend like it didn't happen?"

It was selfish of Noctis and he knew that. Prompto had felt what he felt, had thought himself in love with Noctis. Asking him to just forget it and move on was probably wrong, but Noctis didn't know what else to do. 

Prompto seemed willing to let Noctis' selfishness slide if they could be on good terms again. "Yeah, we'll just forget it. Friends?" Prompto opened his arms wide.

Noctis moved into the embrace. "Friends." he agreed. And just like that, nothing was different. It was nice to think that way at least.

Later that night, Gladio, Prompto and Noctis stood in the living room, looking around. They'd had a few drinks, remembered all the good times, lamented all the bad ones, and now they were finally ready to pack up and head out.

"This has been a wild week, dudes. Teamwork makes the dream work," Gladio said, as usual spouting nonsense.  _ This is why I gave the team speeches _ , Noctis thought fondly. Gladio held out his right hand, palm down.

"Prompto?"

"A hell of a good time with my best friends in a very nice house. Nobody else I'd want to spend it with but you two," Prompto said. He placed his hand atop Gladio's. As one, Gladio and Prompto looked to Noctis, who shook his head and smiled.

"You're both complete assholes. I love you. Thanks. Honestly. For everything." He placed his hand atop the pile.

"On three!" Gladio called, and all together they cried, "One, two, three! Goooooooo Insomnia High!"

It might as well have been gameday for how they celebrated.

But it was a stupid, juvenile cheer, and Noctis knew it. High school was behind them, and Prompto wasn't even at their college anymore. And one day Gladio and Noctis would graduate and be thrown into the real world, and neither of them were ready for it. Gladio was a child at heart, sure, but was Noctis really any better? And Prompto was so different, his life incomprehensible — his money and his damn car. What really did they have in common anymore other than childhood memories? Gameday memories? Maybe one day they'd stop calling each other. Maybe one day they'd struggle to remember why they'd been friends at all. Who could say?

But they'd had this week together, and for Noctis, right then, that was enough.

"You were the kicker, dude," Gladio laughed, punching Prompto in the arm. "We shouldn't even include you in our cheer. We took you off the shelf and dusted you off, like, what? Once a game?"

"Screw you!" Prompto laughed, punching Gladio right back. 

"I can ignore you both: I was quarterback," Noctis said, crossing his arms and looking important.

"Oh, hell, no," Gladio said. "Sack him!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Noctis cried and ran for it.

Which is how he ended up getting tossed in the pool. And also how he ended up dragging Gladio in with him. And  _ also _ how Gladio ended up crashing into Prompto on his way down, and dragging him in too.

"You guys  _ suck!"  _ Noctis laughed, coughing up water.

"We love you, too," Prompto said, grabbing his head and dunking him right back down.

  
  


* * *

  
  


That night, all showered and dried off after his fully clothed pool adventure, Noctis sat with his back against the headboard, watching the door. He hadn't locked it. He could tell himself it had been accidental, but who was he kidding? He was waiting for Ignis to come to him again. It was hard to know what to expect, but he knew it wasn't over between them. Noctis would leave in the morning, and he wanted to say goodbye to Ignis  _ right. _ Somehow.

He waited two hours, but Ignis didn't come.

A week ago, it would have been impossible for him, but today it was as easy as anything he'd ever done: he threw on a pair of jeans and went to Ignis instead.

Nobody was  _ that _ straight, after all.

His knock was confident, not at all the knock of a man trying to be clandestine. He noticed the fact, but didn't think too much about it. Ignis came to the door with damp hair and shining skin — spotless from head to toe in a creamy pair of silk pajamas, and of course he had more than one pair of silk pajamas. 

"Thought we said a proper goodbye," he said with a slow, knowing smile. His eyes roved over Noctis' chest, his scar.

"We did. But you, uh, didn't come to see me."

"I didn't," Ignis replied, and raised an eyebrow. "How wonderful that you've come to  _ me, _ instead."

Noctis stared at his shoes. This felt exactly like asking a pretty upperclassman girl to prom. "Did you want me to? Were you...waiting for me?"

"What if I was?"

The shrug he gave was the best he could do for a response right then. What did it mean if Ignis had wanted him to come? 

"Hm, well. Don't just stand there. Come in," Ignis said in a quiet, bright voice. "The night is young."

Noctis exhaled in relief, and took the invitation at face value. Ignis' room was classy with dark woods and warm accents. He'd definitely picked the perfect room for himself; it suited him.

The door locking behind him made Noctis jump, but Ignis smiled at him reassuringly. "Don't be scared," he said. 

"I'm not. I'm...nervous?" The confidence that had brought him here was flagging now that he'd arrived.

"Well then don't be nervous," Ignis laughed. "Come here."

Noctis shuffled to him, shoulders hunched, and head down. His face was hot from nerves and embarrassment. 

That playful tone was in Ignis' voice when he asked, "Now, what are we doing tonight?"

"I didn't bring the tablet," Noctis mumbled. He looked around quickly as if the tablet might be on some table somewhere, giving him a way to avoid vocalizing all the dirty things his mind conjured up in regards to Ignis.

"I'm not wearing my watch. Besides, you don't need the tablet," Ignis whispered, and then more firmly, "Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Tell me."

Swallowing hard, Noctis tried to rally his courage. "I...I think I want to watch you more."

"My pleasure. Do you want me to dance for you? Jack off for you?"

Noctis shook his head. "No. Not like that."

"I see," Ignis said. His study of Noctis was long and thoughtful, and Noctis felt like a children's book under the scrutiny: easy to read and basic.

At last, Ignis turned and walked to the bedside drawer. His movements were hidden until he turned back around. The thing in his hand excited and repulsed Noctis all at once. It was jet black, and far too long — longer than any real cock and much thicker, too. It moved, but not as if it was completely soft. There was some tooth to the thing, a kind of flexible rigidity. It made Noctis think of a snake, and the thing seemed just as dangerous and mysterious. There was no mistaking what it was intended for: the veins and ridges were very distinct. Without meaning to, Noctis shuffled closer. Ignis turned it for Noctis to see, showing off the monstrous thing with slow, careful movements. "What do you think?"

"Is it yours?" Noctis asked in a voice made small by uncertainty.

"Yes," Ignis said. "I brought it with me. I'd like to...that is." He stopped and seemed to be searching for the right thing to say. It was unusual for Ignis to be uncertain, so Noctis hung on every word. "Do you want to see how I play with it?"

Part of Noctis was screaming to run away, but the part that had marched his feet up the stairs to Ignis' room was demanding he stay. And Ignis seemed to want this, like he'd wanted to see Noctis touch himself with his underwear. The larger part of him demanded that he give Ignis what he wanted.

"Yes. Please," Noctis said.

"Always so polite," Ignis said, sounding pleased.

When he undressed, it wasn't as he had before when he danced for Noctis. This was all business once more, almost hurried like he couldn't help himself. He stopped when he was down to just his pajama bottoms and his fingers were about to tug them down.

"There's a bottle of lube in the bathroom. Be a dear and fetch it, please," Ignis said. The look on his face as he asked made it clear he thought it funny that Noctis would absolutely prefer not to get the bottle of lube. Nevertheless, Noctis moved deeper into the room to the ensuite door.

The bathroom was full of surprises. It was still a little steamy from Ignis' shower, and there were items Noctis didn't understand. On a shelf in the luxurious glass shower was another  _ thing, _ and Noctis stared at it, trying to guess its purpose. It was long, slut-red, and ribbed with what looked like a black rubber bulb at the end. 

"It's called a douche," Ignis said from the doorway. He was leaning against the frame in that lazy way of his, but everything about his posture screamed alertness. 

"You use it to…?" but Noctis stopped there. It made sense: Ignis would have to take care of the  _ inside _ of his body as well.

"To get clean, Noct, yes. Before and after," Ignis answered his unfinished question. His face was serene, but perhaps his voice was a little irritated by the necessity of explaining absolutely everything to Noctis, who felt like he was drowning in new, confusing information.

"Did you use it before I came?"

"I did," Ignis said with a telling smile. 

"Because you knew I'd come?"

"I hoped. Now quit gawking at my work tools, and come to bed. That's the lube there," he added unnecessarily. 

The bottle was black as well. Noctis picked it up gingerly and read the label aloud. "Back Door?" 

The bottle proclaimed that it was a water-based, personal lubricant; that it provided maximum comfort; and that it would relax the anus without desensitizing the area. Noctis felt like he was reading Greek. 

"It's an apt name, you'll agree. It's my favorite brand. I'll show you how it works. Come along," Ignis said airily, and walked out of the room. 

Heart racing, Noctis followed along, his fingers burning from where he held the bottle.

"Just there," Ignis said, and Noctis placed the lube on the bedside drawer where he pointed. 

"Climb up. Get comfortable. The view will be better up close," Ignis said as he started to pull down his pajama pants. His briefs were form-fitting red boxers today, but Noctis could tell they were still silk.

"You always wear silk," he said dumbly as he settled against the headboard.

"It feels nice," Ignis said. "And I'd like to keep this pair, if you don't mind."

"Uh...sure. Sorry," Noctis agreed in a flustered voice. He was going to absolutely die of embarrassment now.

"Cute," Ignis whispered. The briefs came off, and he stood before Noctis, nude and too pretty to look at. He wasn't hard yet, but the view was still breathtaking. 

"Are you going to touch me today? Help turn me on?" The back of his hand brushed up and down his body gently in invitation.

Noctis shook his head and said stiltedly, "I just want to watch."

"Of course," Ignis said, and Noctis couldn't tell one way or the other if he was disappointed in the answer.

Ignis climbed onto the edge of bed facing Noctis, then his left hand reached for the toy that was beside the lube. It was long enough to swing and seemed heavy.  _ Surely the length is just for shock value, not actual use, _ Noctis wondered. Ignis' body couldn't possibly accommodate the whole of the thing. 

He was snapped out of his musing by Ignis' almost professional tone of voice. "Silicone lubes and silicone toys don't play well together. That's why I use a water-based lube with this toy. But water-based lubes dry quickly. I'll have to add more the longer I play. Make sense?"

Frowning at the sudden lesson, Noctis nodded. 

"This is silicone," Ignis said, giving the toy a shake that made it swing like a pendulum. "It's not a cheap toy, and I very much want to keep it in good shape for a long time," he added. "Luckily it cleans easily, and it gets me off. I'll show you how." 

Intrigued, Noctis' eyes followed the toy as Ignis placed it on the bed. When he looked up again, Ignis had the bottle of Back Door in his hand. He squeezed a heavy amount onto his palm, and rubbed his fingers together to coat them. The lube looked slick and thick. Noctis wondered what it felt like.

"Watch closely," Ignis said, locking eyes with Noctis. He shifted so that his ass was pointing towards him and braced himself on one arm while the other reached between his legs and back. Some of the lube smeared on his ass cheeks as he moved, but his fingers unerringly found the small pucker between his legs. 

"Can you see well enough?" Ignis asked with his fingertips poised to enter.

"Yeah," Noctis said softly. He shifted forward for a better view.

"Good," Ignis breathed, then penetrated himself with his middle finger. "Mm," he said. "It's easy right now because I already loosened up in the shower. I'm already pretty open."

True to his words, his index finger slid in easily as well.

Noctis tried to follow what Ignis was saying, but couldn't focus on anything but the logistics. It was unbelievable that the douche had fit inside Ignis' body at all, and even more unbelievable that the huge toy would fit, too. Noctis didn't see how it was possible. Even Ignis' fingers seemed too  big for that small place, no matter how easily they were sliding into his body.

Ignis' arm was moving, twisting, and Noctis could see his fingers spreading and forcing the hole wide rhythmically. Three fingers now, with the movements making squishy, slick noises as they thrust in and out. The sheen of the lube on Ignis' smooth skin caught Noctis' eyes. 

"Do you do this for yourself? When you're alone?" Noctis asked suddenly. 

"Finger myself?" Ignis asked to clarify. He hunched lower to push his fingers deeper, and the way his body rolled was obscene.

"Uh. No. With the toy," Noctis mumbled.

"Mm-hm," Ignis replied, sounding more aroused now that he'd played with his ass for several minutes.. "Sometimes I want to do it the way I like," he said. "I want a cock inside me on my terms."

Noctis went hot and cold at his words. Embarrassment and fascination warred inside him. "Can you get off like this? Just, uh, fingering yourself?" He tried out the new term, feeling very foolish. But the idea that Ignis did get off this way made Noctis feel dizzy.

"No," Ignis admitted. "Not anymore. It takes more than just my fingers. I just get slick like this. Nice and wet and open. But when I fuck, I need something bigger."

As if to prove his point, he pulled his fingers free. "Ready?" he asked, which Noctis found bizarre. He felt like he should ask  _ Ignis _ that. 

At Noctis' nod, Ignis retrieved the toy and got slowly to his knees. He opened the bottle of lube again, and was generous in how he coated the toy, rubbed it up and down with his slick fingers. Then Ignis got into position. The view was unreal, his long body lifted up and poised above the thing. 

"You're shaved all over," Noctis noticed. 

"'Shaved'? Ha. If only. You certainly do notice odd things at odd times," Ignis said, then explained, "But yes, most of my clients like me smooth. Do you?"

"Your skin's pretty," Noctis admitted. "You look so clean. Like Photoshop or something."

"Flattery is appreciated, but try to focus, darling. This is for you, after all," he scolded. "My  _ skin _ is hardly that interesting right now."

And Noctis knew he was right, but he felt a little overawed, like he couldn't tell up from down or left from right. Besides, Ignis' skin was  _ always  _ interesting. 

Ignis forced one arm behind him, and used that hand to tug his cheeks apart. Then, with the hand holding the toy, he reached back to move the head of the dildo around the slick pucker in a tight, gentle circle. It was clear from his breathing that he was excited, and that teasing himself added to that excitement. His cock was half-hard now, definitely interested in the way he played with his ass.

"Mm," he said as he started to lower his body and push up with his hand. His eyes closed, and his head dipped back, the expression on his face one of ecstasy. It was beautiful to behold, and Noctis didn't know where to look. But then Ignis started inserting the toy and the decision was made for him: he couldn't look away. The size of it seemed to shock Ignis. He panted with his mouth open, and his eyebrows furrowed. Despite the discomfort, he kept pushing, and more inches of the thing disappeared into his hole. 

"Fuck. Been...awhile with something this thick," he admitted. He pulled the entire thing back out, slicked more lubricant on it so that drops of it fell to the bed, and then went again. It seemed easier this time, but Ignis' lips pursed in pain. Inch after inch shoved into him, deeper and deeper.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not like you're thinking," Ignis explained. "I like it. It feels good to be stretched. To be full." He pumped the first few inches in and out of himself, and even moaned at what Noctis had to guess was more pleasure than the initial push had given him. He was fucking himself slowly, his hole stretched wide by the thick thing.

"Can you take...all of that?" Noctis asked.

"Watch," Ignis said on a slow, ragged exhale. He let the toy hang for a moment and squirted more lube onto his hands to coat the remaining length thickly. Then his dripping hands worked in tandem to push more of the toy into his body and a low, long sound slid from his mouth as the thing slid into him. Still only halfway stuffed with the snake-like thing, Ignis stopped, leaned far back to make his body an arch, and pushed and pulled the thing between his legs in a slow, revealing display.

"Oh my God," Noctis said in shock, for Ignis' stretched body showed undeniable proof of the toy sliding deep into his bowels. The firm skin of his stomach just below his belly button bulged with each thrust, as if the overlong dildo was trying to escape through his body, and tear him open from the inside. The monstrous toy was reshaping his guts, churning them in unnatural ways. Noctis was horrified and dazzled.

Ignis was watching him when Noctis raised his eyes again, and his expression was carnal. "Talk to me," Ignis moaned.

"I can see it," Noctis said dumbly. 

"Mm," Ignis agreed. "Don't look away. Watch me take it. Watch me take it all for you."

Noctis' dick throbbed at the words, but his mind was still rebelling. "It...it can't be safe," was his worried statement.

"Oh, it's not," Ignis laughed and agreed breathlessly. Then he let out a particularly intense groan as he pushed the toy in deeper. Noctis' mouth fell open watching how the bulge shifted up, and then up further. Impossibly, his body took more of the thick hose. 

"You can... _ ah _ ...absolutely hurt yourself like this. Not recommended," Ignis added with a grin. "Leave it to us  _ ah  _ professionals. Do a Google search when you're... _ mmm _ ...bored. So many things can  _ tear."  _ His tone was wicked, as if he found Noctis' discomfort comical. 

"But you do it anyway?" Noctis whispered.

"It feels incredible," Ignis sighed, and stretched back further, exaggerating the look of the enormous toy moving in his guts. His muscled, narrow middle was a window to the movement inside him; how the thick snake of a dildo forced its way into his body, made room for itself inside him like a battering ram.

Noctis' palm was already laying against Ignis' hot, damp, rolling stomach by the time he was aware he had leaned forward with his hand outstretched.

"Noct!" Ignis shouted. 

At that first contact, Ignis went wild, hips jerking as the sounds he made grew louder and more desperate. Noctis suddenly realized he had never touched Ignis before. Not like this. It was unreal to feel the dildo moving against his hand through Ignis' skin. Incredible to feel Ignis' skin at all. And this?  _ This  _ was a performance for him, a way for Ignis to show him how he liked it, how he wanted it. That made the contact even more charged. Noctis was transfixed. He could  _ feel _ Ignis getting fucked; being ripped apart and loving it.

Through some mad athletic prowess, Ignis lifted his free hand, but kept his balance on his knees. He pushed that free hand against Noctis' hand on his stomach, holding it there. He was trembling. With desire? From exertion? Emotion? Who knew?

His other hand continued to fuck the toy in and out, going deeper and deeper with each thrust.

"Feel it," Ignis begged. "Feel how I like to be fucked." His bleary eyes were intense, trained on Noctis. He pushed Noctis' hand into his stomach harder than Noctis thought was a good idea, grinding it into his belly to feel Noctis more. The thrusts were faster now, his stomach bulging over and over again at speed. 

"Ignis," Noctis whispered, but nothing beyond that formed on his lips.

"See how full I am?" Ignis moaned.

"Yes," Noctis said weakly. His palm was hot and wet from Ignis' body, his fingers throbbing at the sensation of the toy slam, slam, slamming into Ignis deeply.

"Is that...all of it?" Noctis asked. He didn't dare look down to see.

"No, baby. But I'll take it all for you," Ignis said, and Noctis saw his arm jerk in the corner of his eye. Ignis' stomach suddenly pushed out extremely against Noctis' hand and then stilled. Near his ribs, too far into his body. 

"Ignis!" Noctis cried.

"Yes!" Ignis suddenly shouted and peaked, falling backwards hard, his knees rolled up beneath his jerking body in a position that couldn't be comfortable. Ignis pulled Noctis over with him by keeping his hand exactly where it was. Staring down at Ignis falling apart beneath his fingers, Noctis felt like he couldn't breathe again. It was a common affliction around Ignis.

_ He came without touching his cock, _ Noctis thought.  _ How could that thing have felt good inside him? _ And wasn't it just like Ignis said? Noctis noticed odd things at odd times. Truthfully, Ignis coming hands-free was hardly the most noteworthy thing happening right then.

Ropes of cum were splashing against Noctis' wrist, and there was the occasional slap of Ignis' cock against his arm. Noctis didn't know what to think or what to do. All he knew was that this was a lot all at once.

They remained like that for long, hazy moments. Ignis shuddered occasionally, aftershocks taking away his control. Noctis stared down at him, turned on and frightened by the flood of emotions drowning him. And Ignis was still the most beautiful creature in the world. Even stuffed full with that unnatural toy, he was a masterpiece.

Ignis was still breathing madly, but his body finally stilled. The hand he'd fucked himself with fell away, leaving the toy embedded inside him to the hilt. His other hand remained on Noctis', holding it to his stomach. Noctis could feel the toy hard and stationary beneath his palm, but more intense was the feel of Ignis' hand still atop his own. 

Slowly, Ignis stroked up and down Noctis' arm, and the hairs stood up as the sensation shivered through his body.

"Normally last longer," Ignis said in a huff after several long minutes of gazing at Noctis and touching him sweetly, but he didn't sound truly upset. "Look how worked up you got me, darling." One slick hand gestured at the mess of cum all over his body.

"You're incredible," Noctis said, barely able to speak at all. "I've never seen anything like that. I didn't know that was even possible. Seeing it move inside your body like that was unreal. Are you hurt?"

"Mm, no. I don't think you'll have to take me to an emergency room this time." Ignis even managed to smile as he said that.

_ "This _ time?" Noctis asked, eyes going wide. He couldn't stop himself from demanding, "Don't do that anymore."

Ignis gave a pained laugh. "You want me to stop? Because it's dangerous?"

"Uh, yeah," Noctis said. He curled his hand up slowly against Ignis' stomach, cringing a little at the feel of the toy rubbing hard against his knuckles. 

"Ng," Ignis grunted at the touch. "Then give me something else to fuck, handsome," Ignis said with a smile as his eyes drifted down to the obvious bulge in Noctis' pants. 

"Don't joke like that," Noctis grumbled.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Ignis said. "Let me see it."

Noctis slowly pulled his hand away to lower the fly of his jeans. He shifted just enough to pull them down over his cock, then gripped himself hard. The head was already wet from how turned on he'd been watching Ignis rip himself apart with that  _ thing, _ so it was easy to stroke himself at speed, pull himself close within seconds.

"Look how hard you are watching me take that big cock," Ignis said.

"Shit," Noctis cursed.

Ignis shifted closer by slithering like a snake on his back, groaning as the movement rolled the toy inside him. He stopped when his mouth was almost directly beneath Noctis' pumping hand.

"Give it all to me," Ignis demanded. He licked his lips then held his mouth wide, and that view — Ignis' pretty gaping mouth — was what drove Noctis over the edge.

Gobs of the stuff fell onto Ignis' chin and lips. Some splattered right onto his waiting tongue, and he made a satisfied noise and licked it all up, swallowed it all down. 

"Shit," Noctis cursed and spurted again.

"You like that? You like watching me swallow your spunk?" Ignis breathed, and Noctis had to close his eyes as more cum shot from his cock. Ignis could talk dirty better than a porn star. It was probably a skill he'd picked up over the years.  _ Occupational hazards. _

Watching Ignis lick up the last of his cum was shocking and arousing. "I don't...I don't understand you," Noctis admitted breathlessly, and let his hands fall to his sides.

The reply he got was a tinkling laugh. "Want to help me pull it out?" Ignis asked. "It feels just as good the other way." He heaved himself tiredly to his hands and knees, forcing Noctis' eyes to the flared end of the toy where it protruded from the stretched pucker between his legs.

"I'm afraid of hurting you," he admitted. 

"I'll do it, then. Watch me?"

"Yeah," Noctis said. He'd be a liar if he said he didn't want to see it happen.

Braced on one arm, Ignis reached back with the other, caught the base of the thing with firm fingers, and pulled. 

"Fuck," he exhaled. "Oh... _ fuck _ ...mmm."

The thing kept coming, and once it was free Ignis just tossed it to the side. It hit the bed with a  _ thud  _ which increased Noctis' shock _.  _ How had he taken that thing? Ignis followed the dramatic gesture by flopping over, and it was the least graceful motion Noctis had ever seen Ignis make. It was understandable: he'd just had endless, too-thick inches of fake cock shoved inside him. He could worry about gracefulness some other time.

"I'm gonna stay here. With you tonight," Noctis said, not letting it be a question, not giving Ignis a chance to say no. Though why he would, Noctis didn't know. For whatever reason, Ignis seemed to like him, and that thought made him feel giddy.

"No complaints," Ignis sighed. "Some requests," he added.

"Yeah?"

Ignis opened his arms, and Noctis felt a momentary panic. He pushed it down, then let himself pull Ignis close, let himself enjoy the feel of Ignis' arms coming around him. They were both disgusting, covered in cum and lube and sweat, and it was fine. It was all okay. The damn toy was still on the bed with them and it was all absolutely fine.

"This," Ignis sighed. "This is nice. This is what I wanted." 

Noctis nodded. He was drowning in sensation. Ignis' skin was wet with sweat, but soft underneath the sheen. That fragrance of his was filling his nose and making him want to get off again.

Then Ignis' hand drifted up, touched the tip of Noctis' scar, then slid down slowly, stopping at the end of the thing right between his pecs. The touch was a tickle, a tease. 

"Let me lick it?" Ignis asked.

"Um. Okay," Noctis said, and shuddered at the idea. The wet tickle of Ignis' tongue made him shake and clutch at Ignis' strong shoulders. His cock throbbed desperately. 

Ignis pulled away and grinned down at him. "Nice," he breathed. 

As if that satisfied him, he got comfortable in Noctis' arms. He wasn't a shy man, so when he felt Noctis' erection returning against his thigh, he said, "Sure you don't want to fuck me? I'm open and wet. I'll let you come inside me. Then I'll  _ show _ you how the douche works." 

Noctis couldn't see Ignis' face with his head buried against his shoulder, but he could hear how wicked his expression must be by the  _ wicked _ way his voice made that suggestion.

_ "Goodnight, _ Ignis."

"You're no fun," was Ignis' pouting reply. "Thank you for...well. How to make you understand? Let me just say that I quite enjoyed this little game. I liked your eyes watching me."

"Well, good. Throw that thing away," Noctis said, frowning.

"I have bigger ones," Ignis quipped.

Noctis cursed, and that just made Ignis bubble over with laughter.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they all lived _______ ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!

The morning dawned bright and awful. Ignis was not in bed when Noctis woke, but that was hardly the biggest problem. The bigger problem was that he would  _ never _ wake up in Ignis' bed again. The week was over and he felt deflated. 

He only had a few things left to pack, and he dragged his feet about it, but the time came to leave no matter what he tried. It took a few trips to get all their bags back into the car, but Noctis didn't see Ignis on any of them, though he looked hard. The house was so big he'd have to check every room  _ and  _ the grounds if he wanted to see him. Obviously, Ignis didn't want to be seen. He had said that he hated goodbyes, hadn't he? But Noctis didn't know for sure if that was the reason for his absence, and the not knowing made him feel even worse.

The biggest part of his mind was regret. What could he have done with Ignis if he'd been more certain, less concerned about his identity? Less afraid?

_ 'Sure you don't want to fuck me? I'm open and wet. I'll let you come inside me.' _

He wondered if he'd be hearing Ignis' voice offering him things he'd been too dumb to take for the rest of his life.

The housekeeper was around to see to it that they left in a timely fashion, and didn't take anything. She didn't say as much, but her presence and behavior made it clear that it was so. She hovered over them, occasionally encouraging them to get going and "double-check your bathrooms." 

Prompto thought it was hilarious, but Gladio grumbled about her being "pushy."

They loaded up the trunk and tossed anything that didn't fit into the back seat. Then Noctis took one last look at the pool and the green grass of the putt-putt course. He looked up to where the window of his temporary room had been. For a sad, sentimental moment, he tried to figure out which room had been Ignis', but gave it up as impossible. The place was too big and he really couldn't tell. 

And then there was nothing left to do. It was time to go.

Gladio's old clunker seemed drab and musty after a solid week living in an expansive paradise. Noctis' knees pressed into the back of the passenger's seat, and how had he forgotten what a cramped, awful ride it had been all the way out here?

"Off we go, My Lords," Prompto cheered as he put her in drive.

Noctis rolled his eyes and prepared for a long, uncomfortable trip. He put his hand in his jacket pocket, and had to bite his tongue not to gasp. He pulled them out, ever so slowly, as secretively as he could. These were new. Well, new to  _ him. _ They were charcoal black and made of sin. When had Ignis done this? How had he not noticed?

He could imagine Ignis smiling at him with that wicked grin.  _ A souvenir _ , he'd say.

"Stop the car," Noctis shouted. 

Prompto slammed on the brakes hard, and everyone grunted as they were flung into their seatbelts. "What? Huh? Did you forget something?"

"Yeah," Noctis said. He tore off his seat belt, threw open the door, and ran back up the long walkway leading to the front door. 

"Your charger's in your backpack, idiot!" Gladio called after him, but Noctis just ignored him.

Ignis was already opening the door to him when he leaped up the stairs two at a time. His beautiful face was full of emotion, easy to read for once. His arms were open and Noctis crashed into him, pushed him back against the wall by the entranceway, and kissed him harder than he'd ever kissed anyone in his life. His arms went around Ignis' thin back, and his fingers flexed strongly trying to drag him even closer.

"Noct, Noct," Ignis chanted in between kisses. Noctis took the opportunity to map out his mouth with his tongue which made Ignis go, "Mmmmm," and wasn't  _ that _ nice? Ignis tasted good — fresh and clean, just a little sweet.

Noctis' hands moved on their own; shoved into the front of Ignis' expensive shirt; rumpled it as he exposed his chest to his hands — to the probing of his fingertips over every plane and peak he found. Ignis made more pleased noises at his touch, and touched him right back, traced his scar first over his shirt, then under it with fingers that were cool like he'd been holding a cold glass. Noctis shivered and pushed into Ignis' hands.

He stopped teasing Ignis' chest long enough to bury his fingers in his hair, mussing the careful style like he'd always wanted to. The strands were like silk, as soft as the briefs he'd found in his pocket, and he moaned at the idea that his fingers would smell like Ignis for hours on the road.

They broke apart at last, and Noct was breathless like he'd scored a touchdown. Cupping Ignis' face, he felt like he was holding fine crystal. His thumb traced over his bottom lip. 

"I should have done that days ago," Noctis panted.

Ignis closed his eyes and lowered his face. "Ah, regrets," he said softly. When he looked up, he gave Noctis a weak smile. 

They kissed again — a deep, desperate kiss — and Ignis  _ really _ wasn't shy, so his hands cupped Noctis' ass and dragged their hips flush together. "That's for you," Ignis whispered into his ear. "All for you."

His erection was hot even through the layers of their clothing, and Noctis suddenly remembered the look of it, the sight of Ignis jerking himself in time to Noctis' own movements. Ignis bit his earlobe, and Noctis felt reckless and needy. They kissed again and their tongues rubbed together wetly. Ignis moaned his name, rocked against him like they could just fuck right here.

Noctis was just wondering how far he would be able to go — how far he would  _ let _ himself go with Ignis — when Prompto leaned on the horn.

"Shit, shit, shit," Noctis cursed, pulling away reluctantly from Ignis' sweet mouth. 

Ignis glanced towards the sound. His lips were swollen from the force of Noctis' kiss. 

"I suppose you have to go now," he said, then reached into the pocket of his slacks, extracting an elegant, embossed business card that he slipped into the breast pocket of Noctis' shirt. 

"That is my personal number, handsome," he whispered, placing his hand over it, feeling Noctis' pounding heartbeat. "Make sure to call. I'll answer day or night."

Noctis closed his eyes, concentrated on Ignis' hand. They'd touched so few times and now each instance was special to him.

"Tell me you're real," Noctis said, still not opening his eyes.

"Oh, I'm real," Ignis said. He kissed him briefly, then shoved him away. "Call me and I'll prove it to you. Now go before he honks that bloody horn again."

Noctis opened his eyes and backed away, watching Ignis the whole way, memorizing the whole of him. He turned at last, and jogged back to the car, aware of Ignis watching him. 

Idly, he wondered what his friends would say about it all.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Things changed once they went back to their old lives — the old boring, normal lives they'd had before Ignis. Noctis could think of his life in two messy halves: Before Ignis and After Ignis.

After Ignis, Prompto kept making money and enjoying all the things money could buy him. Perhaps even more than Before Ignis, for he bought more toys — a boat, an RV — and disappeared to exotic locations at the drop of a hat. His life got bigger, and Noctis' felt small in comparison. Gladio complained that talking to Prompto wasn't so fun anymore.

"All he does is brag," he said.

Prompto, however, seemed determined to share his life with them. Or just with Noctis, really, and it worried him. It was difficult to trust his motives.

"Noctis, come with me. You've got to see this island. Just you and me this time. It'll be fun. You won't have to pay for a thing. My treat."

But Noctis declined that time, and every time after. Despite his promise to forget Prompto' confession and jealousy, he never really did. And despite Prompto' protests that they were just friends — that he wasn't still hung up on Noctis, that it was old news — as time went on, Noctis got the idea that Prompto was lying. To Noctis  _ and  _ to himself. 

It made him wonder about the nature of their friendship all these years. It had been built on a lie, hadn't it? Prompto hadn't been around him to be his friend; he'd wanted something more, and it was dishonest, Noctis decided. It tainted every memory he had of their time together. Why  _ had _ Prompto suddenly joined the football team in high school? Noctis had a pretty good idea now, and felt stupid for not seeing it before. 

Sometimes weeks went by without a phone call or text message. It was just more proof of what Noctis had been aware of for some time: they were growing apart. Noctis wondered if it had always been inevitable, with or without Ignis. He'd never know.

After Ignis for Gladio, well, he decided, almost overnight, to grow up. Only, no, it wasn't his decision; the choice was made for him. It happened in a flash in the fourth quarter of a regular season game. Just a normal game like any other. Only...

Gladio seemed to fly when he took the hit. The sound was a  _ crunch _ followed by a  _ snap, _ but Noctis wasn't really aware of hearing anything over the sound of his own shout. He watched it all from the stands feeling detached, like watching a movie.

For Gladio, football lost its glamour after a concussion and two broken bones that left him sidelined for a whole semester. Noctis wondered if Gladio was afraid now; if maybe he'd seen his life flash before his eyes as the ground smashed into his head and dragged him down to black unconsciousness. Maybe the life he'd seen had been an empty one filled with parties and booze and fucking and hard hits that sent him sprawling into the touchline like a toy tossed by a child. Only Gladio knew if that was the moment he realized that he didn't want the life he saw anymore. 

He couldn't play, so in his free time he started watching HGTV and the  _ Property Brothers _ with Noctis. Gladio watched the shows seriously, didn't even make lewd comments about the twin hosts of the show now. Instead he said things like, "I want a house like that. Did you see the fireplace? Kids would love that. Marshmallows, right? Can you imagine?" 

The man-child he had been was buried beneath the bandages and stitches; or maybe he had been left to rot on the sidelines the night of the game that took Gladio's football career away.

One day he said, "I want to meet somebody. Get married, you know? We'll build a house like that together. Have a family." 

And right then Noctis knew that Gladio had passed him by. Somehow, he had become more ready for the real world than Noctis. Certainly more mature than Noctis.

And Gladio did meet a nice girl. For a bit it seemed serious. Then he met a nice boy, and it was even more serious. He dropped out, got a job (to pay for a ring, he said); worked a nine-to-five; bought a reliable sedan. He started talking about  _ the future  _ and  _ forever _ and Noctis didn't recognize him anymore.

It was fitting since he didn't really recognize himself anymore, either. Because, After Ignis for him, he thought of Ignis constantly. He'd had ex-girlfriends he'd dated for months and forgotten in days. But not Ignis. One week and he was a permanent fixture in Noctis' memory.

The business card was used as a bookmark in the only novel Noctis had ever finished without it being an assignment,  _ A Separate Peace. _ He figured it was just as well since the book was pretty damn gay, and  _ he _ was feeling pretty damn gay for Ignis. He didn't get much of what the book was trying to say, but he was pretty sure Gene had the hots for Finny, and was just bad at saying it. So here Noctis was, feeling a lot like Gene. He hoped he got a better ending because people straight up died in the book like gay love just always led to death and regret or something. He didn't like that idea.

Every day, in the morning, he thought of Ignis. In the evening, he thought of Ignis. Especially at night, there was Ignis. He could hear his voice in his mind, imagine the curve of his mouth as he smiled.

Only, he didn't  _ call _ the number Ignis gave him. He took it from between the pages of the book frequently, sometimes more than once a day. And he stared at the lovely lettering that spelled out Ignis' name, imagined that the card smelled like him though it smelled like nothing at all. The card looked a little grubby from the times he held it, stared at it, picked up his phone, and thought hard about dialing.

The reason he couldn't call eluded him, but he knew it was important. As solid as the wall he'd tried to jump as a kid, and just as big of a roadblock. Whatever the reason, the takeaway was clear: he couldn't call Ignis. Not yet.

He let Gladio drag him to a gay bar one weekend. Though he was approached a few times, Noctis didn't like any of the guys he saw. He found something wrong with all of them, and Gladio told him he had impossible standards.

"That guy's cute," he tried, refusing to give up, and pointing at a stocky guy in the corner. 

But after approaching him at Gladio's insistence and having a chat, Noctis returned to their table with nothing to report.

"What was wrong with  _ this _ one?" Gladio demanded. He was clearly upset that his role as Cupid was going poorly. 

"He wasn't what I'm looking for," was all Noctis said. Gladio looked at him thoughtfully, and Noctis was suddenly reminded of Prompto chiding him for underestimating Gladio's intelligence. 

"Guess you're right," Gladio agreed too easily.

Later that night, when they were both fall-down drunk, and barely making it back to Noctis' dorm, he looked right at Noctis and slurred, "So what the hell are you waiting for? I know he gave you his number. Fucking call him, dude."

The heavy words that formed Noctis' answer stuck in his throat, but he forced them out because Gladio wasn't as dumb as he treated him, and Gladio was trying to  _ help.  _ Gladio was being a good friend, like always, really, and Noctis was a jerk for not appreciating that more. And the answer  _ was _ there, which was new. The very thing that kept his thumb poised over the dial pad without moving was right _ there  _ if he could man-up and just fucking face it.

Noctis clutched Gladio's shoulders too hard and said, "I want to know who I am. Who I really am. Then when I see him again, I won't be a stranger to myself. I won't be lying to him or to me. To  _ Myself. _ I'll be  _ me. _ Noctis.  _ Noct. _ And I won't be confused or need his help. He'll see me for who I am, and I'll be a better man for him. I'll deserve him then. You know?"

Gladio blinked at him slowly. "No, I  _ don't  _ know. What the fuck are you talking about? Shit, I'm gonna puke."

And then he did, all over Noctis' shoes. He never brought up Ignis again.

Noctis went on a handful of dates with a few boys after that; cute boys he met online. Nothing spectacular, but he didn't have a sobbing panic attack in public, either, which had to count for something. All his dates were so understanding and kind about his identity crisis that it was humbling. None of them pressured him. They didn't seem bothered that there were limits to what he was willing to do in bed; that some things still scared him. 

_ 'It's not easy, no. But between friends, it doesn't have to be so hard,'  _ Ignis reminded him in his memories. The words gave him comfort. 

So he didn't have a boyfriend at the end of all his blind dates, no, but maybe he'd made some new friends.  What a reversal from Prompto, he mused: dates that became friends instead of friends trying to be dates. It was almost funny. Well, almost.

He tried to remember what Gladio had said when he came out to him way back when, but alas it was so long ago that he couldn't remember it perfectly. Knowing Gladio, he'd probably just said, "Dude, I'm bi, let's go get a beer."

Gladio had always been stronger. He could see that now.

After Ignis, Noctis practiced saying it in the mirror to see if the words came out smoothly. "I'm bi. I'm bisexual. I like boys, too," he whispered to his reflection. God, he'd have to tell his mom one day and  _ then  _ what?

On bad days, he argued with himself, turning red in anger. "I'm not. I just like  _ him. _ It's not the same thing."

Other days were better, those rare days when the truth didn't seem so big or scary. He held on to Ignis' words like they were a liferaft in a choppy ocean.

_ 'Sexuality isn't some spreadsheet where you pop in the right values and get an answer. Girls in this column and boys in that one. Straight over here, gay over there? That's not how it works. Write your name in the column you like.' _

On very bad days, he jacked off brutally to the thought of Ignis grinding against the bedpost; Ignis licking the length of his scar; Ignis fucking himself with that awful, twisted toy. 

One desperate, miserable day, he went online and looked the thing up, found videos of young, thin, muscled men using the toy the way Ignis had, their stomachs pushing out mercilessly at the invasion. He stripped his cock raw watching video after video, imagining each one of those tortured boys with Ignis' face.

And sometimes, he cried himself to sleep straining to remember the feel of Ignis' mouth against his and the smell of Ignis' hair on his fingers.

The week of graduation, Prompto came to visit, and they both got so drunk to celebrate that the world blurred and swayed. Back at his dorm, Prompto pushed him against a wall and kissed him hard, chanting, "Noct, Noct. My Noct." 

Prompto' hands were hard on his cheeks, holding him in place for the forced push of his tongue into his mouth, the desperate bite of teeth on his lower lip. "Want you, come on. Want you so bad," Prompto slurred, crowding him with his body. 

And Noctis felt nothing, only the scream of his own mind that  _ Ignis calls me Noct. Not you. _

He pushed Prompto away, not unkindly, but firmly. "You're wasted," he said, and even smiled. "Let's crash."

"Yeah, okay," Prompto mumbled, but his eyes were still trained on Noctis' mouth. 

In the morning, neither of them mentioned it, but Noctis wasn't fooled anymore. Prompto had been lying to him for years — playing the friend while wanting to be a lover. He could see through the mask. Prompto hadn't given up. He didn't know how to, and Noctis...he couldn't make himself feel things he didn't. It wasn't fair to either of them.

So Noctis graduated with a business degree, and the unwanted taste of Prompto' mouth against his. He graduated down one friend and slowly losing another — to  _ adulthood _ of all things. 

Nobody was there to help him pack up his crap to move back home, and it was the loneliest he'd ever felt taping boxes closed, sealing away four years of his life, like archiving it for posterity. Four years in the dark about absolutely everything. His diploma looked kind of goofy on his old, empty desk. Right then, it didn't mean very much. 

His parents were glad to have him back, but he got a job at a marketing firm almost immediately, and earned enough within three months to get his own place. His parents did help him move into the apartment, and sometimes his mother cried that her, "Baby is all grown up!" 

But between his parents and himself, the move was accomplished. He wondered if they'd always be on his side. Both his mom and dad seemed happy to help and proud. It made him feel like one day, maybe soon, he'd say what he'd been practicing in the mirror to them. 

"Mom, Dad, I like boys, too."

He'd say it just like that, and watch their faces to gauge their reactions. 

But not now. There would be time for that. 

His new place was sparsely decorated — he hadn't earned  _ that _ much yet — but it was his. He unpacked a little at a time, filled it up with the few things he had, and it started to feel like home. Everything, one jagged piece at a time, was starting to click. 

On a chilly Friday evening in November, he stood in the center of his living room with the smudged and fading business card in one hand, and his cell phone in the other. When he dialed his hands were steady.

It rang twice, and then a voice spoke.

"This is Ignis," said the voice on the other end.

"Hi," Noctis said.

There was a long pause, long enough that Noctis wondered if Ignis had just hung up. But at last Ignis said, "Noct. My, my. I wondered when you'd call. Miss me?"

"Every day," Noctis answered.

"Flatterer," Ignis said, and it was so familiar that Noctis' heart hurt to hear it. He tried to imagine him. Had he changed his hair? Perhaps he had new, fashionable glasses he didn't need.

"It's not flattery. It's the truth," he said. He took a deep breath. "In fact, I called because I want to tell you something."

Ignis was silent for several tense seconds before saying simply, "I'm listening."

His tone was as difficult to interpret as ever, so Noctis couldn't tell if Ignis was irritated with him or not. Was he over him? Angry that months and months had passed with Noctis never calling, not even once?

There was just no way for Noctis to tell. But the truth was that it didn't matter. He'd called to say what he had to say, and he was at peace with that. Whatever Ignis said when he was finished, he'd live with the consequences. He took a deep breath, and spoke.

"I don't know if you even want to hear this. I don't know if you care, but it's the truth: the minute I first saw you — the very  _ minute _ I first saw you — I should have taken you upstairs and made love to you right then."

Ignis gasped. "Noct —"

"And I should have spent every minute of every day in that mansion with you," Noctis interrupted. "I should have kept you all to myself. I should have written my name on your heart.  _ That's _ the column I want. The one that gets me you."

Ignis didn't speak, but it was just as well: Noctis' heart was pounding so fast he didn't know if he'd be able to hear anything Ignis said over the symphony of his heartbeat anyway. But it wasn't so loud in the end because he could hear Ignis perfectly when he spoke at last.

"I'm still a prostitute, Noct. You know that won't change." His tone was flat and matter-of-fact. 

"I don't really care," Noctis admitted. "I just want you. And I'm sorry I didn't call right away. I...had to figure out who I am."

"And now you know?" Ignis asked. Noctis heard the sound of something creaking over the line, as if Ignis had sat down hard on a chair. Perhaps he was somewhere elegant, off to France or Germany again.

"Yeah. Now I know. I'm whatever I need to be if I can have you."

"Dammit," Ignis cursed, but his voice hitched on the word, and Noctis wanted to be there, to hold him, to promise him that it was all true. Every single word. Ignis was silent for a long time.

"Talk to me," Noctis begged.

"Fucking  _ straight _ boys," Ignis sighed, and Noctis wanted to laugh out loud. Ignis wasn't mad at him. Ignis just didn't know what to do or say, and, yeah, Noctis could admit that he'd dumped a lot on him. His reaction made sense.

"Don't hang up or anything like that. Please."

"Oh, I won't," Ignis snapped, but there was no real bite to it. "So, where are you?" 

At Noctis' answer, Ignis gave one of his lovely little laughs. "That's not so far, in the grand scheme of things. Got a pencil and paper?" 

"Uh, yeah," Noctis said, then fumbled around in an unpacked box for paper. "Shoot," he said, hunched over it at his desk.

When he finished writing, a quick search online told him that the address was over two hours away if he took the highways. Not a bad trip at all. Not so far, in the grand scheme of things, just like Ignis said.

"Is it...can I come over now?" Noctis asked, feeling elated and stupid and giddy and scared all at once.

"Start driving, handsome," Ignis said with that same, familiar smile in his voice. 

So Noctis drove, and was completely amazed that he didn't get a ticket for speeding. He made it in an hour and a half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're all done! Story complete! Thanks so much for reading. And if you made it this far, wow! Thank you a million! It was really fun to share this. I hope you had a little bit of fun. 
> 
> Now that it's all over, I can tell a little story. When I first wrote this, I wrote it as FFXV fanfiction, but changed all the character names and posted it as original fiction instead. Once that story ran, I went on ahead and put it back the way it was meant to be and started posting it here. So now it's the FFXV fanfiction it was always meant to be. It's weird to scrub the serial numbers off first, then put them back on. :) I think it maybe usually goes the other way around?
> 
> If anyone is interested in seeing the version with the serial numbers scrubbed off, let me know in the comments and I can send the link. Not sure why anybody would want that, but just in case!
> 
> And again, thanks to all the readers!


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